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
Many of the perfumes launching this season are either direct remakes of once popular scents, or sentimental callbacks to a romanticized past. — Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 Horsburgh, the writer and culture critic, said that Spears’s past triumphs stand on their own. — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Multi-stream data architecture This multi-stream data architecture marks a shift from past national assessments, which estimated potential capacity between 12 and 30 gigawatts. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026 Where were all the groups that past mayors promoted over police involvement? — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Preposition
Sour lemon Shoppers walk past a Lululemon store at a shopping mall on June 21, 2026, in Hong Kong, China. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026 Hundreds of thousands of people will file past the ancient 70-meter (230-foot) embroidery, taking in its 600 human characters and 58 scenes that relate the events of 1066 – the last time England was successfully overrun by an invading force. — Mark Rice-Oxley, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 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
  • Djeneba N'Diaye also had 19 points for Mali, which is now 2-10 in its World Cup history.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Boot Bowl rivalry, which began in 2012, doesn’t have the longest history, but for fans in Burleson, few events bring the town together quite like it.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of history
Adjective
  • Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank, said Trump would be repeating the same policy mistake as his predecessor, Democratic former President Joe Biden.
    — BILL BARROW, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In a warm-up game against South African club side The Sharks, legendary former New Zealand centre Ma’a Nonu, now 44 years old, was playing for the home side.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of former
Preposition
  • That feels very much in tune with the anxious characters Eisenberg has played over the course of his acting career, but this whole directing thing is working out nicely for him, too.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • In England, boxer Jane Couch took the British Board of Boxing Control to an industrial tribunal over their refusal to grant her (or any woman) a professional boxing licence.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of over
Preposition
  • As has been discussed in the comments, Tyra did not return as a judge after that argument with Law earlier in the season.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Find a way to limit run-after-catch opportunities for Green Bay’s wideouts, avoid turnovers offensively and Minnesota should be able to ride a raucous crowd to a Week 1 victory.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of after
Adjective
  • The sheriff's office's drone was used to assist in checking the approximately 28-acre property and helped identify old kennel and animal-confinement areas.
    — River Valley Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The 27-year-old pre-training researcher’s dramatic resignation has fired off a provocative warning on X that instantly sent ripples across the tech sector.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of old
Preposition
  • Central States recently joined the Expanding ESOPs coalition, which includes nearly 100 organizations working together to grow employer ownership here in Arkansas and beyond by increasing awareness and improving policy.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026
  • That’s because postseason games tend to be close, and good lineups rarely let any starter last beyond six innings.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of beyond
Adjective
  • Blue laws in Arkansas included bans on card games, hunting, horse racing and other activities on Sundays.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The back end should be able to move the puck better and avoid long stretches in their own end, and assuming relative health, other players like Braden Schneider will no longer have to play too high in the lineup.
    — Peter Baugh, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of other
Adjective
  • But some of Jentleson’s erstwhile allies on the left are less sanguine about his project.
    — Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Last year, The Studio won nine awards at the erstwhile Creative Arts Emmys, added four more on the main telecast, and thus set the record for most awards won in a single year by a comedy series.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Sep. 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 11 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on past

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of patina

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All