past 1 of 3

Definition of pastnext
as in history
the events or experience of former times we spent a pleasant evening recalling the past together

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

past

2 of 3

adjective

past

3 of 3

preposition

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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
Karma follows Cotillard as a woman with a troubled past whose new life is upended by a child’s disappearance. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 16 May 2026 Back then, Mao deliberately didn’t choose the Forbidden City for his office – wanting to distance the new China from its past failed imperial system. Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
Adjective
Breaking The Internal Imposter System A moment of profound vulnerability occurred this past March at our summit. Carolina Guardiola Romo, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 This past Tuesday during a wild 18-15 victory against Dennis-Yarmouth, Hendricks sniped six goals, eclipsing 300 in her career. Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 18 May 2026
Preposition
Different routes through each level — stealth, social infiltration or full-action — feed the replay loop in a way that should give the game serious legs past launch week. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026 If the shutdown continues past the weekend, the roughly 250,000 people who ride the system to and from work each weekday will be forced to find alternative routes into New York City from its Long Island suburbs. Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 16 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for past
Recent Examples of Synonyms for past
Noun
  • The island, now almost entirely owned by Oracle mogul Larry Ellison, has a rich fishing history and was once a massive pineapple plantation (Dole had its headquarters here) and served as one of the world's largest pineapple producers.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 May 2026
  • Jason Kidd oversaw perhaps the most chaotic stretch of basketball in Dallas Mavericks history.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2026
Adjective
  • The company recently shot a pilot for a food travel series Soul Table with former CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin, activist LaTosha Brown and Michelin chef Dominique Crenn (Chef’s Table).
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 19 May 2026
  • His appointment suggest a shift in executive profile, from Domenjó, a TV producer and former Satisfaction Iberia and Mediacrest executive, to a long-serving Telefónica operator with deep experience in Latin America and corporate management.
    Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 19 May 2026
Preposition
  • Sia's Fan Favorite prize began in 2016, and she's since awarded over $1 million to various players.
    Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
  • The map has changed multiple times over the past month, and at one point was removed from the website entirely.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Preposition
  • Carolyn Hax started her Washington Post advice column in 1997, after five years on the Style desk and none as a therapist.
    Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 15 May 2026
  • The return of Sia's Fan Favorite comes two years after Probst, 64, announced in May 2024, after Survivor's 46th season, that Sia would no longer be awarding money to her favorite players.
    Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026
Adjective
  • One prompted stories of an old cowboy sitting alone on a porch, surveying a ghost town; another prompted stories about a sun rising over a meadow, where tiny creatures awakened and started to frolic.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
  • Instead of looking frumpy in an old T-shirt, look polished and refined in this shirt that won’t constrict your movements.
    Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 2026
Preposition
  • Just behind the cineplex and beyond the route of the busway, are 34 acres once occupied by a scrap metal yard acquired by the city in a foreclosure in 2021.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026
  • Stronger communities are built when mental-health services move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and recognize the emotional, social, cultural and practical realities people face every day.
    Maria Bledsoe, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2026
Adjective
  • One out of every 16 minutes across six hours of NCAA football bowl games referenced gambling — far less than any other sport.
    Luke Connors, Washington Post, 19 May 2026
  • And while track and field adopted the dual-advancement and dual-medal system, the policy does not easily translate to head-to-head contact sports or other athletic competitions, creating what critics see as a glaring inconsistency across the state.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
Adjective
  • Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver are reuniting for a special video episode of their erstwhile podcast Strike Force Five, the quintet of late-night hosts announced during their joint appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
    Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 11 May 2026
  • Then, in 2017, Tesla mainstreamed the Model S with the more affordable Model 3, surpassing the erstwhile eco-warrior favorite Prius.
    Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Past.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/past. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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