was winning

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "was winning" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
Example: The basketball team was winning by 10 points before their star player got injured.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Conteh, however, was winning.

Independent

North Carolina was winning.

The New Yorker

"His team was winning.

The New York Times - Sports

All it took was winning.

The New York Times

Love was winning.

The New York Times

He was winning.

The Guardian - Books

Chris was winning everything.

The Guardian - Sport

By 1881, the monster was winning.

The Economist

The woman was winning, the statue losing.

The New Yorker

Szewinska was winning her fifth Olympic medal.

Independent

And I thought I was winning.

The New York Times - Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "was winning" to describe a state of being in the process of achieving victory or success at a specific point in the past. It implies an ongoing action with a positive trajectory.

Common error

Avoid using "was winning" when you want to describe a completed action. Use "won" instead. For example, instead of "He was winning the race yesterday", use "He won the race yesterday".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "was winning" functions as a verb phrase, specifically the past continuous tense of the verb "win". It describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. Ludwig examples confirm its use in various contexts to indicate an ongoing state of achieving victory.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

96%

Wiki

2%

Science

1%

Less common in

Formal & Business

1%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "was winning" is a grammatically correct and very common verb phrase used to describe an action in progress towards victory in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and frequent use in various contexts, particularly in news and media. When using the phrase, ensure that the tense aligns with the intended time frame, and consider alternatives like "was leading" or "held the lead" for nuanced expressions. Avoid using it to describe completely finished events, and use "won" instead.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was leading

Highlights the act of guiding or directing while being in first place during a certain phase.

was in the lead

Highlights the state of being in first place at a specific moment.

was ahead

Suggests being in a more advantageous position than others during a certain period.

was on top

Suggests being in the highest or most successful position at a certain point in time.

held the lead

Indicates being in first place or having an advantage at a specific point.

enjoyed a lead

Indicates the experience of being in a favorable position at a specific time.

was succeeding

Focuses on the successful progression towards a goal at a specific moment.

maintained the advantage

Focuses on keeping a superior position during a certain period.

was triumphant

Emphasizes the feeling of victory and accomplishment during a certain timeframe.

was dominating

Implies having a strong influence or control over something at a particular point in time.

FAQs

How can I use "was winning" in a sentence?

Use "was winning" to describe an ongoing action of achieving victory or success in the past. For example, "The team "was winning" the game until the last minute".

What are some alternatives to "was winning"?

You can use alternatives such as "was leading", "held the lead", or "was ahead" depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "is winning" instead of "was winning"?

The correct tense depends on the time frame. Use "is winning" to describe a current situation and "was winning" to describe a past situation.

What's the difference between "was winning" and "won"?

"Was winning" describes an action in progress in the past, while "won" describes a completed action in the past. For example, "She "was winning" the competition until her opponent scored, then she "won"".