way back when

English

Pronunciation

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Adverb

way back when

1. (idiomatic) At a time in the distant past.
   • 2005 July 8, Caryn James, “Critic's Notebook: When the Film Outshines The Novel”, in The New York Times‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 November 2023:

     The book's enduring power is also evident in its big-headed tripods from outer space, described perfectly by Wells way back when.

Adjective

way back when

1. (idiomatic) At a time in the distant past.
   • 2017 May 15, Andrew Ross Sorkin, “20 Years On, Amazon and Jeff Bezos Prove Naysayers Wrong”, in The New York Times‎^[2], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 13 November 2025:

     Even Warren Buffett was skeptical of Amazon way back when.