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 lender has invested more than $5 billion in its financial center network over the past nine years.
—
Saeed Azhar, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Grayslake North 13-9 (8) Jane Pritchard, who has gone behind the plate to catch after a teammate’s injury, is hitting .500 with three RBIs for the Knights over the past week.
—Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
Mental health is now one of working women’s top concerns, second only to women’s rights, and 33% of respondents have taken time off in the past year because of their mental health.
—Eva Epker, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
At Tuesday’s meeting, the school board was informed that the surplus of federal funds that had been used to offer free lunch throughout the district for the past school year was finally depleted.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for the past
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Saeed Azhar, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Grayslake North 13-9 (8) Jane Pritchard, who has gone behind the plate to catch after a teammate’s injury, is hitting .500 with three RBIs for the Knights over the past week.
—Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
Mental health is now one of working women’s top concerns, second only to women’s rights, and 33% of respondents have taken time off in the past year because of their mental health.
—Eva Epker, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
At Tuesday’s meeting, the school board was informed that the surplus of federal funds that had been used to offer free lunch throughout the district for the past school year was finally depleted.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 14 May 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 24 May. 2025.
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