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
Schroder, who was acquired over the summer in a sign-and-trade deal with the Detroit Pistons, has been ruled out for Sunday’s contest after missing the past seven games with a right hip flexor strain.
—
Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 14 Dec. 2025
No player has been as consistently decisive for Brazil in the past 15 years.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
But that hasn't prevented Johnson, who has been lambasted for spreading misinformation in the past, from supporting the discredited doctor's claims that chlorine dioxide, a chemical used for disinfecting and bleaching, can help treat autism, COVID, cancer and a host of other ailments.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
Other notable roles over the past two decades include a corrupt narcotics officer in 2001’s Training Day and appearances on episodes of Hawaii Five-O, Justified, Chicago PD, and the John Wick spinoff series The Continental.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the past
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Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 14 Dec. 2025
No player has been as consistently decisive for Brazil in the past 15 years.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
But that hasn't prevented Johnson, who has been lambasted for spreading misinformation in the past, from supporting the discredited doctor's claims that chlorine dioxide, a chemical used for disinfecting and bleaching, can help treat autism, COVID, cancer and a host of other ailments.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
Other notable roles over the past two decades include a corrupt narcotics officer in 2001’s Training Day and appearances on episodes of Hawaii Five-O, Justified, Chicago PD, and the John Wick spinoff series The Continental.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 13 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 21 Dec. 2025.
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