undertake
verb (used with object)
to take upon oneself, as a task, performance, etc.; attempt.
were undertaking
-
past progressiveof undertake.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.
When the war broke out, Unesco and Sudanese museum authorities were undertaking multimillion-dollar repairs at more than a dozen museums and cultural centers across the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
To get people to stop and listen, they’d offer free bars of soap — a metaphor for the scrubbing that they were undertaking.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 31, 2024
The Welsh government said health boards were undertaking "innovative work" to improve access to eye care, including new mobile theatres.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2022
And I wished them well, not envying the uphill battle they were undertaking in a ruthless industry that probably cared little for sitter issues or parent-teacher conferences.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 3, 2020
Meanwhile, throughout the 1950s oceanographers were undertaking more and more sophisticated surveys of the ocean floors.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
