time was (when)

idiom

old-fashioned

—used to say that something was true in the past and usually to express annoyance that it is no longer true

Time was, you could buy a candy bar for a nickel.

Time was when people respected their elders.

Examples of time was (when) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Answering the 100-year-old business’ emails at the time was Mia S. McLeod. State Senator Mia S. McLeod. —Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025

From ordering to delivery time was about five days. —Melissa Maria, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2025

The broader idea at the time was this: Schools that kept a relentless eye on sending more students to and through college could help lift the next generation of New Orleanians out of poverty. —Sarah Carr, NPR, 27 Aug. 2025

However, the partisan gap at the time was 35 points because only 36 percent of Democrats were satisfied with the country's direction at the time. —Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025

Musk at the time was spearheading President Donald Trump’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency, and protests were occurring across the country at Tesla dealerships. —Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Aug. 2025

My boyfriend at the time was working for Jack Nicholson. —Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025

The payload this time was Metop-SGA1, an 8,900-pound (4,040-kilogram) weather satellite that will be operated by the international group EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites). —Mike Wall, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025

These occasions were wonderful, and everyone always seemed to have a great time, however, planning, preparing and hosting all of these events with both of us working full time was extremely stressful and costly. —R Eric Thomas, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2025