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 Wild answered quickly, converting on their first power play when Kaprizov scored for the third time in the past two games.
—
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
An official from Monroe County, located between Detroit and Ohio, told the news station that local crews used more salt in December than in the past four Decembers combined.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 25 Jan. 2026
The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) report weighed crime statistics from 40 cities that have reported monthly data for the past eight years.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Stocks climbed higher across the past year, extending a bull run driven by enthusiasm about artificial intelligence.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the past
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Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
An official from Monroe County, located between Detroit and Ohio, told the news station that local crews used more salt in December than in the past four Decembers combined.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 25 Jan. 2026
The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) report weighed crime statistics from 40 cities that have reported monthly data for the past eight years.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Stocks climbed higher across the past year, extending a bull run driven by enthusiasm about artificial intelligence.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
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 28 Jan. 2026.
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