past 1 of 3

as in history
the events or experience of former times we spent a pleasant evening recalling the past together

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past

2 of 3

adjective

past

3 of 3

preposition

1
as in over
on or to the farther side of I drive past the school every day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in after
subsequent to in time or order it's ten minutes past six o'clock

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of past
Noun
The history continues further south, where a visit to the 18th-century Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa—as well as the Santa Barbara Mission, located an hour south in its namesake city—allows for up-close exploration of the state’s Spanish past served alongside stunning views of the Pacific. Visit California, AFAR Media, 12 Mar. 2025 More than three decades after a 31-year-old woman vanished without a trace, her boyfriend with a violent past has been arrested, authorities said. Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Some past efforts by states to purge noncitizens from voting rolls, however, have ensnared eligible U.S. citizens due to data inaccuracies. Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 12 Mar. 2025 Massie is nevertheless a different political animal than some of Trump’s past intraparty foils. W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Mar. 2025
Preposition
According to Experian, 68% of U.S. adults report having suffered from or currently experiencing financial trauma, with women more likely to experience financial anxiety due to systemic barriers, past economic instability, and income disparities. Alejandra Rojas, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 Plans to build a 151-unit rental community in far south Fort Worth squeezed past the city’s zoning commission Wednesday afternoon. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for past
Recent Examples of Synonyms for past
Noun
  • The Trump White House has a history of censuring data for political purposes.
    Howard Gleckman, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Patrick has a history of making their anniversaries special.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • What Does KenPom Say? Analytics guru Ken Pomeroy, a former U.S. government meteorologist, revolutionized the use of statistics as a predictor of success in the NCAA tournament in the early 2000s, and his rankings are recognized as the industry standard.
    Jack Magruder, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • His wife, Heather Moraitis, is a former Fort Lauderdale city commissioner.
    Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2025
Preposition
  • His last four seasons have been rough, as he’s logged a 5.32 ERA over that span.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Those two groups combined to play for over 28.5 minutes, yet the Pacers were -33 in the other 19.5 minutes.
    Tony East, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Preposition
  • The violence broke out just after noon, when a deputy was escorting about a dozen men from the 2500 housing area to another part of the jail, the memo said.
    Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2025
  • UConn’s shooting cooled to start the second half, and the team didn’t hit a 3-point attempt after halftime until the final three minutes of the fourth quarter.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Every year in the US, there are approximately 35,000 ER visits due to unintentional medication overdoses among children under 5 years old.
    Katia Hetter, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025
  • At just 10 years old, Romeo made his modeling debut in a 2013 Burberry Kids campaign, which also featured Cara Delevingne, after he was named the face of the brand’s children’s line.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 1 Mar. 2025
Preposition
  • Kim has recently signaled that his government’s construction plans now stretch beyond the five-year targets announced in 2021.
    Oscar Holland, CNN, 19 Mar. 2025
  • This initiative would expand the California Film Commission’s mandate beyond tax credits.
    Adam Bhala Lough, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • While the Midwest and the South are bracing for possible severe storms Friday and Saturday, on Thursday there was a critical risk of fire in Texas and other parts of the Great Plains — and the extreme danger will continue into the weekend.
    Phil Helsel, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Connor Brown was the only other forward to have a positive Corsi forward percentage.
    Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Trump was tightening the screws after his explosive Oval Office meeting Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the U.S. leader tries to pressure the erstwhile American ally to embrace peace talks with its invader.
    Zeke Miller, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2025
  • There is also Mona’s erstwhile friend Vanessa, once Milton’s latest young discovery, who fell fervidly in love with him, not realizing the danger to her nascent acting career if their affair should end.
    Laura Collins-Hughes, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Past.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/past. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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