a while back

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.

Writer Greg Stolze posted a while back about “some professor” who “put googly eyes on a pencil and waved it at his class saying ‘Hi!

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

“We called a shop in Austin a while back: ‘Hey, it’s a 17-year-old — think you can do it?’

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2025

Armstrong issued a statement over the weekend, saying she wanted to "clear the air about something that happened a while back".

From BBC • Sep. 10, 2024

“I remember one a while back that was a roller and those are scary because they keep going on, but this was a quick hit, was over and that’s it.”

From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2024

I thought I heard some soft plashing and a sniffing noise, a while back; but you hear a lot of such queer sounds by a river at night.’

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien