back then

prepositional phrase

At that time, at the time referred to in the past.

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. At that time, at the time referred to in the past.
    1 more example

    On the East and West Coast Main Lines in the 1950s/60s, for example, we saw the extinction of intermediate stations in order to create the same sort of accelerations that IRP is now promising. Back then, the priority was faster main line services, with wayside/intermediate stations paying the ultimate price.

    2022 January 12, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Unhappy start to 2022”, in RAIL, number 948, page 3

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
back in the day

Translations

Finnish silloin ennen, silloin
  • silloin ennenat that time
  • silloinat that time
  • taannoinat that time
Spanish por ese entonces, por aquel entonces
  • por ese entoncesat that time
  • por aquel entoncesat that time
Cite this entry
APA

back then. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20then

MLA

“back then.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20then. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “back then,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back%20then.

Source: back then on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.