thrive
verb (used without object)
to prosper; be fortunate or successful.
were thriving
-
past progressiveof thrive.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Judith Jacobs, the farm's owner, said the owlets were thriving and had lifted spirits after the farm was the target of six suspected arson attacks this summer.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The children were thriving, learning American Sign Language and unbothered by their deafness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
This suggests that fungi were thriving on Earth hundreds of millions of years before plants began to grow.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2025
Asked how they could tell that the bacteria and other organisms were thriving, he said “they’re there. They’re alive and... if they weren’t... they’d have a different appearance...”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2024
If Monte Verde is correct, as most believe, people were thriving from Alaska to Chile while much of northern Europe was still empty of mankind and its works.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
