the past
noun
1
: an earlier time : the time before the present
happy memories of the past
In the past, there was a company luncheon every month.
2
grammar
: a verb tense that is used to refer to the past : the past tense
The past of "walk" is "walked."
Examples of the past in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The city was under an extreme heat warning for most of the past week.
—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2026
Although its popularity has waned in the past few decades, fruit cocktail was all the rage in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.
—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
4 July 2026
In three of the past four races, he was swept into a wreck without fault (Michigan), had a flat tire late while challenging for the win (San Diego) and suffered a mechanical failure last week at Sonoma.
—
Jess Bryant,
New York Times,
4 July 2026
For the past decade, Heidi Vermilyea has been in charge of the parade souvenirs, selling hats, t-shirts, and Christmas tree ornaments out of a blue trailer.
—
Susan Bence,
NPR,
4 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for the past
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.
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2026
Although its popularity has waned in the past few decades, fruit cocktail was all the rage in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.
—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
4 July 2026
In three of the past four races, he was swept into a wreck without fault (Michigan), had a flat tire late while challenging for the win (San Diego) and suffered a mechanical failure last week at Sonoma.
—
Jess Bryant,
New York Times,
4 July 2026
For the past decade, Heidi Vermilyea has been in charge of the parade souvenirs, selling hats, t-shirts, and Christmas tree ornaments out of a blue trailer.
—
Susan Bence,
NPR,
4 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for the past
Cite this Entry
“The past.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20past. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
