as in history
the events or experience of former times
we spent a pleasant evening recalling the past together
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in former
having been such at some previous time
a past editor of the newspaper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in over
on or to the farther side of
I drive past the school every day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
And strange things keep happening, hinting that maybe Georgia’s past isn’t willing to stay buried.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Tuesday night, couples are dancing to songs featured in past freestyle numbers.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 9 Nov. 2025
On Saturday night in the Pacific Northwest, the Hornets kept their FCS playoff hopes alive with their big-play attack, racing past Portland State 52-24 at Hillsboro Stadium.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for past
Noun
On a hidden floor in an old hotel in the Alps, Nazi Germany is still alive in The Secret Floor (Das geheime Stockwerk), a time-travel adventure film for the whole family that wants to help children learn about the dark past.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
And strange things keep happening, hinting that maybe Georgia’s past isn’t willing to stay buried.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
But, before the relays get underway, the celebs and their usual pro partners will perform a new style to a song inspired by an iconic freestyle performance from a past season.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Tuesday night, couples are dancing to songs featured in past freestyle numbers.
—Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
Preposition
The Missouri Tigers just can’t seem to get past these Aggies.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 9 Nov. 2025
On Saturday night in the Pacific Northwest, the Hornets kept their FCS playoff hopes alive with their big-play attack, racing past Portland State 52-24 at Hillsboro Stadium.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for past
Recent Examples of Synonyms for past
Noun
-
One form Asks whether the tree appears To exhibit a history of failures.—
MaKshya Tolbert,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
While speaking, Mamdani went into the archives of Indian history, quoting its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Parente, a former federal prosecutor, has often described the incident leading up to the shooting as nothing more than a minor car accident.—
Omar Jimenez,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
He was appointed interim commissioner in August following the retirement of former Commissioner Alan McClain.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Nov. 2025
Preposition
-
At that point, VMI had led for more than seven minutes of game time, Mizzou just over 12.—
Scott Chasen,
Kansas City Star,
10 Nov. 2025
-
That’s a notch short of eBay, which raked in just over $20 billion in its latest quarter.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
10 Nov. 2025
Preposition
-
Brown was extradited to Miami from Essex County, New Jersey, where law enforcement took him Thursday after apprehending him in Dubai.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
12 Nov. 2025
-
On campus, Christopher Benton, 48, was arrested and later booked into Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail for refusing to leave after being asked to do so by police, obstruction and coming on to campus with the intent of interfering with peaceful activities, Mogulof said.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
12 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Chinese retailer, known for its range of cheap ultra-fast-fashion clothing and criticisms of its labor and environmental practices, is nestled on the sixth floor of a more than century-old building in Paris, a city famous for high-end fashion and a recent green push.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In contexts not concerning the elite private colleges of New England and their decades-old conflicts and syllabi and on-campus squabbles, this mode of prestige media procedure matters absolutely and enormously, at scales difficult to tabulate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Preposition
-
Which makes for interesting discussion, this week and beyond, when the selection committee convenes.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The research team highlighted that beyond water harvesting, these coatings could help reduce urban heat island effects, lower energy needs for air-conditioning and provide climate-resilient water sources in regions facing growing heat and water stress.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The research team underlined that the future work will explore other co-intercalants and optimize electrolytes for even wider temperature ranges.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
-
That’s a significant contrast to other parts of the Forbidden City, marked by wide open spaces intended to represent the grandeur of imperial power and territory.—
Fred He,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
For one, Chicago is getting numb to seeing its erstwhile heroes in another city’s colors by now.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
With a gun to the head of the Libyan ambassador, Tara bypasses her erstwhile father-figure Whelan to speak to Taverner, demanding £100 million in a Cayman Islands account and safe escort out of the country.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Past.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/past. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share