How to Use not so long ago in a Sentence

not so long ago

idiom
  • This was a great night with great guys not so long ago.
    Andrea Towers, EW.com, 30 Mar. 2022
  • Across the room, distanced chairs in small pods dot a space that not so long ago held as many as 400.
    Emily Opilo, baltimoresun.com, 7 Mar. 2021
  • The Hulk mask that Saunders started wearing not so long ago has its roots in many things.
    Eddie Pells and Pat Graham, chicagotribune.com, 1 Aug. 2021
  • Those objects that were behind UCLA in the rearview mirror not so long ago are no longer there.
    Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2022
  • There was a time—not so long ago—when my phone was prone to overheating due to its sheer volume of apps.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2024
  • Y’know, there was a time, not so long ago, that the Detroit Tigers were buyers at the trade deadline, rather than sellers.
    Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, 31 July 2023
  • Once upon a time, not so long ago, a nip slip was the most tragic thing that could happen to a red carpet.
    Katie Donbavand, Glamour, 24 Dec. 2022
  • Tufts of grasses, yellow and brown by late June, offer signs that crops grew here not so long ago.
    Alissa J. Rubin, BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2023
  • If that sounds far-fetched, well, just remember what happened in chess not so long ago.
    Quanta Magazine, 29 June 2022
  • Once upon a time, not so long ago, two best friends became partners in life and in business.
    Michelle Matthews | Mmatthews@al.com, al, 18 May 2022
  • So just what does the next chapter look like for a book store retailer on the publishing scrap heap not so long ago?
    Mark Faithfull, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023
  • As for the cows, there was a time not so long ago when an islander might round one up from the beach, take it home to graze and fatten up, then butcher it for meat.
    Longreads, 2 Nov. 2022
  • There was a time not so long ago when Korean dramas rarely went past one season.
    Kayti Burt, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2023
  • Remember, there was a time, not so long ago, when stuff like Eagle Rare 17 collected dust on the shelf.
    Brad Japhe, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2023
  • But, today is Friday and the sun is out and not so long ago a baby orangutan was born at Portland’s Oregon Zoo.
    oregonlive, 22 Apr. 2022
  • Second, the giant fish not so long ago nearly vanished from Jurua, as vessels swept the lakes with large nets.
    Fabiano Maisonnave and Jorge Saenz, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Nov. 2022
  • There was a time, not so long ago, when fashion and politics didn’t really mix.
    Vogue, 1 Apr. 2022
  • Thanks for the amazing music and the great hangs, especially photographing you in LA not so long ago.
    Thania Garcia, Variety, 9 Aug. 2023
  • But not so long ago, romantic partners could high five their problems away.
    Vulture, 29 Oct. 2023
  • That may sound far-fetched to detractors—but of course, so did the notion of paying for things or transferring money with a tap of one’s cell phone not so long ago.
    Rey Mashayekhi, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2021
  • In a region awash in violence, poverty and corruption, Guatemala not so long ago appeared to be on a better path.
    Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2023
  • Few expected Joe Mazzulla to be in this position, a bit like Jim Montgomery not so long ago.
    Tara Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Feb. 2023
  • There was a time not so long ago when Europe would show up at the course intimidated by the U.S. star power and experience.
    Will Graves, chicagotribune.com, 7 Sep. 2021
  • How could the family's oldest, a boy who had not so long ago loved Legos and Power Rangers, have molested his brothers?
    Eileen Finan, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2022
  • There was a time, not so long ago, when April’s Red Sox home opener represented the first day of our annual sports calendar.
    Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Sep. 2023
  • Our younger readers may not believe me, but there was a time not so long ago when highlighter simply wasn't a typical part of our makeup routines.
    Marci Robin, Allure, 5 Oct. 2023
  • There was a time, not so long ago, that GaN was a mere laboratory curiosity.
    Christopher Mims, WSJ, 17 July 2021
  • There was a time, not so long ago, when those wearied and horrified by the presidency of Donald J. Trump could almost convince themselves that the man was gone.
    Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2024
  • Having two forwards injured would have been a major problem for Liverpool not so long ago.
    Steve Douglas, ajc, 19 Feb. 2022
  • At one point not so long ago, Maryland football’s offense was methodical.
    Ryan McFadden, Baltimore Sun, 18 Nov. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'not so long ago.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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