past 1 of 3

noun

Definition of pastnext
as in history
the events or experience of former times we spent a pleasant evening recalling the past together

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past

2 of 3

adjective

ˈpast How to pronounce past (audio)
as in former
having been such at some previous time a past editor of the newspaper

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past

3 of 3

preposition

1
as in over
on or to the farther side of I drive past the school every day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in after
subsequent to in time or order it's ten minutes past six o'clock

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of past
Noun
Even heartfelt moments where Jackie’s deepest secrets are revealed, connecting her sordid past to her chaotic future, fail to elicit a true emotional tug. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026 One night, Cathy (Pugh) arrives at their doorstep, horribly beaten and seemingly unable to remember her past. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Contact centers had spent decades organizing high volumes of work into queues, tracking outcomes, and building a body of past interactions. — David Pralong, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026 But alas, eventually all involved have to get down to business and actually contend with the plot beats of Hoover’s story, which is when the movie careens off a cliff, plummeting past so-bad-it’s-good and crashing on the rocks of agonizingly dumb. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Preposition
To get past the numbers and better understand the issues of children with disabilities in foster care, NPR interviewed former foster youth about their experiences — like Laundersville. — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026 The practical argument for wind-and-rain protection applies equally to spring transitional weather, and the trickle-down to Zara and Uniqlo means the shape will stay in stores well past this fall’s drop cycle. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for past
Recent Examples of Synonyms for past
  1. history
  2. former
  3. over
  4. after
  5. old
  6. beyond
  7. other
  8. erstwhile
Noun
  • Brower and her partner, Aspen Simone, dug into books about pigeon behavior and their history with humans.
    — KYLE MELNICK THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The uncertainty lay in how to care for themselves, honor that history and make space for a future.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of history
Adjective
  • Auriemma also checked in on another of his former players, Tiffany Hayes, 37, who is playing a big role for Golden State.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Unless, of course, there’s another former RHOC Housewife waiting in the wings to rescue her.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of former
Preposition
  • The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that its air defenses overnight downed 646 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, occupied Crimea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The review, done by an international team of 27 researchers, looked more broadly at whether diets high in UPFs may contribute to brain aging over time.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of over
Preposition
  • Basu Trivedi reconnected with Tian after GPTZero’s launch, and Footwork went on to lead GPTZero’s $10 million Series A in June 2024.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Carmella is also still mad at Vicki for saying that Danny is raising her kids, and Heather is angry after learning that Vicki called her fake in Palm Springs.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of after
Adjective
  • The proximity to his father was what worried Lorena Zschaber, a 40-year-old photographer, who watched the results roll in at an LGBTQ+ friendly bar in downtown Rio de Janeiro.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The 168-year-old magazine’s breakout journalism, its digital success, and a bit of good timing have given both Goldberg and Thompson plenty to brag about on the media podcast circuit.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of old
Preposition
  • Similar actions have come from Tennessee, Kentucky, and beyond.
    — Kent Sepkowitz, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Abdel El Manira, a distinguished professor at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and a member of the Nobel committee, said at the prize announcement that optogenetics' impacts extend beyond our understanding of the healthy brain.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of beyond
Adjective
  • Anderson of Johns Hopkins has been working with a dozen other researchers, through grants from Arnold Ventures, to study prices more and contemplate state-level legislation that mirrors the CBO’s options.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The incident became even more troubling after reports that models had turned up on a dozen other websites.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of other
Adjective
  • These yachties aren’t as calloused as the erstwhile SURvers, so for the most part, the tour goes well.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Project’s ranks now include about 80 fishermen manning 15 boats who also support the tagging and research of their erstwhile prey (their work has led to the recent world-first tagging of 10 tiger sharks in Indonesian waters).
    — Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of erstwhile

Phrases Containing past

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Cite this Entry

“Past.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/past. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about past

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