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

Now, the taqueria, which has held on to its homemade flavors for the past 60 years, will soon disappear, too. — Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026

This is where her path intersects with home-hospice worker Ben (Joey Pollari, a recent Murphy favorite who’s appeared in two Monsters and The Beauty within the past year), whom Constance mentors in the art of giving sponge baths. — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2026

Beef prices have soared to record highs in the past year, largely thanks to the smallest national herd in 75 years. — Heather Hollingsworth, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026

The film, which premiered at Visions du Réel, journeys into the past through the director’s diaries and family photographs. — Ed Meza, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for the past

• aghast
• amassed
• biassed
• broadcast
• bypassed
• downcast
• forecast
• foremast
• harassed
• holdfast
• mainmast
• newscast