bygone 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbī-ˌgȯn How to pronounce bygone (audio)
Definition of bygonenext
as in extinct
no longer existing elderly people reminiscing about bygone fashions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bygone

2 of 2

noun

as in past

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 bygone
Adjective
The series will end its eight-season run on Monday as the lone symbol of a bygone era at The CW. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026 There’s no harm in holding on to old photos and other mementos from your bygone days. — Barton Goldsmith, AJC.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
And One&Only Aesthesis delivers that bygone allure with seriously fresh style. — Stephanie Orma, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Ritual objects discovered at the sites show that the Hopewell people traded with many other bygone societies between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. — Joe Yogerst, CNN Money, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bygone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bygone
  1. extinct
  2. past
  3. defunct
  4. yesteryear
  5. gone
  6. yore
Adjective
  • Lower and mid-tier bowl games might become extinct, although the six prominent bowls on and around New Year’s Day — Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Orange, Cotton and Peach — should continue to host the CFP quarterfinals and semifinals.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The predators were locally extinct in California and the West, surviving mostly in rural Minnesota with another 40 animals in Michigan.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of extinct
Noun
  • While the collection draws inspiration from the brand’s past, elements have been retooled for a modern twist.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • His path crosses with Naoko, a Japanese tourist carrying the weight of a painful past, and Ruby, a young child searching for his parents.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of past
Adjective
  • In a true turn of events that would seem almost incredulous in a Hollywood script, the boss of a now defunct production company that specialized in true crime is wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The incidents cited in the report include the payment processor WePay, which is now defunct and was acquired by JPMorgan Chase in 2017.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of defunct
Noun
  • This brings to mind a song from yesteryear about the preacher and the bear.
    — Alfred H. Moses, Baltimore Sun, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Fights, while reduced from yesteryear’s prospect games, still occur.
    — Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of yesteryear
Adjective
  • An America lost to time, remembered in photos The mall’s future is now determined — and its past reveals a version of America perhaps long gone.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Suddenly, photos, videos, or important documents are just… gone.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 15 May 2026
Definition of gone
Noun
  • Latin America is swinging rightward again, electing presidents who promise to channel the strongmen of yore and rule the region through might, not right.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026
  • Tier 9 My favorite tier of yore was hopelessly thinned out by A) the quality at the top of his draft and B) NIL money luring some fake prospects back to the college ranks.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Definition of yore

Browse Nearby Words

by far
bygone
bygones
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bygone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bygone. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All