a while ago

ADVERB

previously

Synonyms

STRONGEST

already formerly heretofore hitherto long ago once then

STRONG

antecedently

WEAK

ahead ante at one time away back back back when before beforehand erstwhile fore forward in advance in anticipation in days gone by in the past precedently time was until now

Antonyms

WEAK

currently future later presently

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

So how’s it all going since we last checked in a while ago?

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

My mother passed away a while ago and a couple of properties were inherited.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 18, 2025

We also stopped quite a while ago and Mercedes and Red Bull are the two teams that pushed for a bit longer so it is not a complete surprise.”

From Barron's • Oct. 24, 2025

When asked about the pressure or fear of failure involved with playing at the top level, he said: "I left that fear behind on the pitch in Mataro a while ago."

From BBC • Jul. 13, 2025

Steve had left a while ago, but now Ma’s friend Mr. Jonathan and his family had come over to celebrate the holiday.

From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore

a while ago

Example Sentences

Related Words