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
If the Irish and Tide really were that close, Georgia’s decisive win felt like a tiebreaker, which, on top of BYU’s loss, could not only send Notre Dame into the CFP, but make the sport’s breathless debate of the past month moot.
—
The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2025
Patel's use of a security detail for Wilkins is unusual, MS NOW reported, noting that partners of high-ranking FBI officials typically only received security protection during joint travels in the past.
—Greta Bjornson, PEOPLE, 6 Dec. 2025
Align Real Estate, the developer, said 86 of the 790 units would be affordable — six times more than have been built in the Marina over the past two decades.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
Many changes in the college football coaching landscape have been arriving over the past several weeks, including big moves for Lane Kiffin, James Franklin, and Billy Napier.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the past
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The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2025
Patel's use of a security detail for Wilkins is unusual, MS NOW reported, noting that partners of high-ranking FBI officials typically only received security protection during joint travels in the past.
—Greta Bjornson, PEOPLE, 6 Dec. 2025
Align Real Estate, the developer, said 86 of the 790 units would be affordable — six times more than have been built in the Marina over the past two decades.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
Many changes in the college football coaching landscape have been arriving over the past several weeks, including big moves for Lane Kiffin, James Franklin, and Billy Napier.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 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 14 Dec. 2025.
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