Definition of yesteryearnext
as in past
the events or experience of former times the simple games of yesteryear that kept children entertained for hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 yesteryear In Karp’s telling, Basquiat is someone who Just Did Things, like today’s defense tech founders, who possess a similar kind of creative conviction, as opposed to the consumer tech imitators of yesteryear. Simon Denny, Artforum, 20 Apr. 2026 The healthy birthday basket is a noticeable contrast to the treats of yesteryear for Fatou, who has been photographed eating cake throughout the years on her birthday, including on her 58th birthday in 2015. Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026 The capital of yesteryear, which was based on the brick and mortar, where things are being made in a specific location, maybe on an assembly line or in a specific way, to a kind of capital that is based solely on advertising or on viewership. Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026 And in the neighboring small town of Monteagle, search for prized possessions from yesteryear at Oakes & Oliver’s Modern Mercantile, a vast repository of vintage pottery, heirloom china, antique furniture, and more. Jennifer Stewart Kornegay, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for yesteryear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yesteryear
past
Noun
  • This is complicity spurred on by a certain kind of Western readers desire to maintain their romantic image of Russia’s past without having to engage critical with Russia’s present.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
  • When Yuri goes missing, Silvia’s childhood trauma comes to the surface, forcing the woman to confront a still very much present past.
    Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 17 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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