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

For all the headlines of the past month, not having general manager Mike Lombardi (who’s on administrative leave) around on a game day is probably a net positive for UNC football. — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026

In the past, Newsom has been reluctant to greenlight laws that tinker with the state budget after those fiscal discussions conclude in the first half of the calendar year. — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Large trucks were involved in 5,218 fatal crashes in 2024, up 30% over the past decade, according to National Safety Council data. — Alice Barlow, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

This is a mission statement that has been internalized by several awards shows over the past couple decades, as viewership for ceremonies like the Oscars, Golden Globes, and Grammys has fallen. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for the past

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