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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

past

3 of 3

preposition

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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
Noun
The lawsuit requests damages of $10 million for past and future physical injuries, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. — Madison Lambert, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026 The truck’s name came after a nine-month search during which Ford considered both alphanumeric labels and familiar names from its past, including Ranchero. — Josh Max, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Adjective
However, callers may use information from data brokers or past breaches to make their stories sound credible. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Mass clearings claim the most trees Like past assessments, the survey found the overwhelming majority of Atlanta’s intact canopy — 72% — is on land zoned for single-family residential homes. — Drew Kann, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Preposition
And her block on Sabrina Ionescu moments before halftime preceded her sprinting past multiple Liberty players, receiving a bounce pass from Flau’jae Johnson, spinning by Rebekah Gardner and easily scoring two of 15 first-half points. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 Wherever two fluids slide past each other at different speeds, the boundary between them buckles, then curls, then rolls up into vortexes. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 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
  • In 2018, Modi was accused by Indian authorities of orchestrating one of the country’s largest bank frauds in modern history.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Yes, Venice provides a glamorous, high-profile red carpet, a heady dose of prestige with its long and glittering history, and a Golden Lion win can sometimes pave the way to a best-picture Oscar.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of history
Adjective
  • With more than 5,000 people aboard, keeping them all unified and focused as one team is difficult in a ship larger than some small towns, said Jennifer Parker, a former Royal Australian Navy officer and nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Also running are current board members Jessica Biggs and Jennifer Custer, Chicago Teachers Union political director Hilario Dominguez and former board appointee Sendhil Revuluri.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of former
Preposition
  • The Broadway Bridge over the Arkansas River was closed briefly on Saturday evening while police responded to a report of a man who had talked about jumping off it, authorities said.
    — Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026
  • When the actress’ hiring was announced, there was an outcry over allegations of colorism due to Stenberg’s mixed-race status and lighter skin tone.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of over
Preposition
  • Certainly there’s been a world of change since the doors of WCC opened a year after that initial gathering – with 1,600 students attending classes in various community facilities.
    — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Bengals traded their first-round pick to the Giants to get Lawrence, while Allen signed during free agency after playing for the Vikings last season.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of after
Adjective
  • Body cameras captured the moments Rialto police officers rushed to save a choking 3-year-old child last week.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Tatyana Montero, a 25-year-old Army based in Canada, was given one of Abby Elder's freebies in Las Vegas.
    — Nidhi Singh, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of old
Preposition
  • As one University of Helsinki scholar of Chinese political economy put it, stablecoins can circulate beyond regulatory oversight, interfere with capital account management and complicate the central bank's control over settlement.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Beginning Friday, and lasting into next weekend and beyond, a pattern change will set in, bringing a September feel to the Northeast that will feature much lower humidity levels, and highs in the upper 70s to low 80s.
    — Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of beyond
Adjective
  • In a news release shared Tuesday, Verizon said that service interruptions affected people across Los Angeles County and other parts of the region after vandals cut multiple fiber cables.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Since Covid-19, average revenues among the ‘Big Six’ have increased by £189million, more than three times the increase at other Premier League clubs.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of other
Adjective
  • The erstwhile New York resident was loudly and vigorously booed by the hometown crowd as he was shown on the jumbotron of the legendary arena.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 8 June 2026
  • Despite his meltdown in Colorado’s extra-inning loss to Milwaukee Friday night, the erstwhile starter has been one of baseball’s best relievers this season.
    — Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
Definition of erstwhile

Phrases Containing past

Browse Nearby Words

passwords
past
paste
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Past.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/past. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on past

Nglish: Translation of past for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about past

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All