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
Hernandez spent the past six years selling traditional Mexican food in Los Angeles before moving with a group of nine to Northern California about four months ago to try their business out on the streets of Richmond.
—
Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, shares of Uber are down almost 4% in the past month.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2024
Their number has grown by 15%, or about 2 million eligible voters in just the past four years.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2024
She has been linked to Harry Styles, Eric André, and Pete Davidson in the past year.
—Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the past 
Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, shares of Uber are down almost 4% in the past month.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2024
Their number has grown by 15%, or about 2 million eligible voters in just the past four years.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2024
She has been linked to Harry Styles, Eric André, and Pete Davidson in the past year.
—Evan Rosen, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the past
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the past.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the past
Cite this Entry
“The past.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20past. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
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