way back when

adverb

At a time in the distant past.

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Meanings

adverb
  1. idiomaticAt a time in the distant past.

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

    2005 July 8, Caryn James, “Critic's Notebook: When the Film Outshines The Novel”, in New York Times, retrieved 02 Mar 2018
adjective
  1. idiomaticAt a time in the distant past.

    Even Warren Buffett was skeptical of Amazon way back when.

    2017 May 15, Andrew Ross Sorkin, “20 Years On, Amazon and Jeff Bezos Prove Naysayers Wrong”, in New York Times, retrieved 02 Mar 2018

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
long ago
Cite this entry
APA

way back when. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/way%20back%20when

MLA

“way back when.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/way%20back%20when. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “way back when,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/way%20back%20when.

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