the past
noun
1
: an earlier time : the time before the present
happy memories of the past
In the past, there was a company luncheon every month.
2
grammar
: a verb tense that is used to refer to the past : the past tense
The past of "walk" is "walked."
Examples of the past in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The competitive part in the past was about teams wanting enough wins to become bowl-eligible.
—
Seth Emerson, The Athletic, 4 Mar. 2025
The late Beverly Hills 90210 star — who passed away in July 2024 at age 53 after a years-long battle with cancer — was notably missing from the 97th Academy Awards' tribute to industry greats who have died over the past year.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
While the Blackpink star has come close to the summit in the past, this frame marks her first trip to the top.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
The announcement of an app is a surprise given that, in the past, the website eschewed being part of the App Store given Apple’s stringent nudity requirements.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the past
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Seth Emerson, The Athletic, 4 Mar. 2025
The late Beverly Hills 90210 star — who passed away in July 2024 at age 53 after a years-long battle with cancer — was notably missing from the 97th Academy Awards' tribute to industry greats who have died over the past year.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
While the Blackpink star has come close to the summit in the past, this frame marks her first trip to the top.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
The announcement of an app is a surprise given that, in the past, the website eschewed being part of the App Store given Apple’s stringent nudity requirements.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the past
Cite this Entry
“The past.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20past. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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