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
Investigating active government officials in Mexico is a new strategy for the United States, which in the past refrained from targeting sitting leaders in allied countries with criminal investigations because of the clear political ramifications.
—
Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
CopperBay Lancaster Over the past century, Hotel Lancaster, located in an 18th-century townhouse off the Champs‑Élysées, has hosted everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marlene Dietrich, who called the hotel home for three years.
—Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026
The public market sentiment has undeniably improved over the past 12 months, with the biotech index XBI rising 50% and several successful IPOs showing that the IPO window for biotech is effectively open.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 4 June 2026
College football has a habit of romanticizing the past in ways that don’t match the actual results.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for the past
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Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
CopperBay Lancaster Over the past century, Hotel Lancaster, located in an 18th-century townhouse off the Champs‑Élysées, has hosted everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marlene Dietrich, who called the hotel home for three years.
—Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026
The public market sentiment has undeniably improved over the past 12 months, with the biotech index XBI rising 50% and several successful IPOs showing that the IPO window for biotech is effectively open.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 4 June 2026
College football has a habit of romanticizing the past in ways that don’t match the actual results.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 June 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 8 Jun. 2026.
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