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
Data centers have been around for years, but the demand has been growing in the Midwest for the past few years.
—
Stephanie Stremplewski, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Dec. 2025
Will Bower threw for two touchdowns and rushed for three more as Ferris State won its fourth NCAA Division II championship in the past five years, taking down Harding 42-21 on Saturday.
—CBS News, 21 Dec. 2025
The 42-year-old Oklahoma native, who started at Google by way of a product management internship in 2009, has spent the past eight months running the Gemini app, the centerpiece of the search giant’s artificial intelligence strategy.
—Jennifer Elias, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2025
On Episode 190 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik look back at the past year in space — its ups, its downs, its all-arounds.
—Space.com Staff, Space.com, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the past
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Stephanie Stremplewski, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Dec. 2025
Will Bower threw for two touchdowns and rushed for three more as Ferris State won its fourth NCAA Division II championship in the past five years, taking down Harding 42-21 on Saturday.
—CBS News, 21 Dec. 2025
The 42-year-old Oklahoma native, who started at Google by way of a product management internship in 2009, has spent the past eight months running the Gemini app, the centerpiece of the search giant’s artificial intelligence strategy.
—Jennifer Elias, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2025
On Episode 190 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik look back at the past year in space — its ups, its downs, its all-arounds.
—Space.com Staff, Space.com, 20 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 22 Dec. 2025.
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