yawn
verb (used without object)
to open the mouth somewhat involuntarily with a prolonged, deep inhalation and sighing or heavy exhalation, as from drowsiness or boredom.
were yawning
-
past progressiveof yawn.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.
Most senators, even Republicans, sat at their desks throughout the afternoon session, as the rules stipulate, and not as many of them were yawning or standing to stretch as during the previous long nights.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 23, 2020
In 2010, Guarnieri sold less than 50, telling the site Pinball News that “there was no product left for him to sell”—that his customers were yawning at Stern’s sparsely adorned, simplistic games.
From Slate ● Jan. 9, 2013
During the war, she felt guilty for having such an interesting job "while my girlfriends were yawning their heads off on night duty in the RAF operation rooms, or getting chilblains on ack ack sites".
From The Guardian ● May 15, 2010
When they wake they stretch their six legs and open their mandibles wide as if they were yawning.
From Time Magazine Archive
They ran through the Spector Lagoon, where ghosts were yawning awake and chatting with one another.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
