past the hour

phrase

—used with a certain number of minutes to indicate how long after the beginning of an hour something will happen
Trains leave every hour at ten minutes past the hour.

Examples of past the hour in a Sentence

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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.
Torres, who entered the game just past the hour mark, is the fifth man to come off the bench and score in a World Cup final and the first since Germany’s Mario Gotze, whose extra-time goal beat Argentina in 2014. — Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 Mohamed Salah, who was making a club record 81st Champions League appearance, was fortunate to get past the hour mark before being replaced by Jeremie Frimpong. — James Pearce, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026 Trains were running every 30 minutes, with eastbound trains leaving Union Station at 15 minutes and 45 minutes past the hour, officials said. — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 25 Nov. 2025 If sinister twists or Roy-style bad dads do it for you, hang on past the hour mark. — Judy Berman, Time, 23 May 2025 Picture your knee pointing at the center of an imaginary clock on the wall in front of you, while your right foot dangles at thirty minutes past the hour. — Literary Hub, 7 May 2025

Rhymes for past the hour

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past tense
past the hour
pasturable
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Cite this Entry

“Past the hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/past%20the%20hour. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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