wake
verb (used without object)
to become roused from sleep; awake; awaken; waken (often followed byup ).
were waking
-
past progressiveof wake.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.
My body became electrified, as if I were waking up from a long slumber.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2025
“Maybe there was a period in human history when people were waking up in the middle of night, but to say that is the normal pattern just contradicts all this data.”
From National Geographic ● Jan. 4, 2024
Farmers were waking up every morning to find dead animals, he told the BBC, and night cameras had revealed wolves jumping back and forth over protective fences "minute by minute".
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2023
In it he pondered why, after decades of silence, Americans were waking up to the truth of the Holocaust and their country’s role in it.
From New York Times ● Feb. 1, 2023
When he opened his eyes once again, it was as if he were waking from a deep sleep.
From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen
