not too recently

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "not too recently" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when you are referring to the recent past (i.e. within the past few days, weeks, or months), but not something that happened very recently. For example: "I haven't seen my friend in a while, but not too recently."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

But most days I stare at a not too recently excavated mummy of a creased Mick Jagger.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

I know lots of men who can flounce, but Mrs Spon is the last woman who can do it"), and sex: Bed... is not at all a good place for sex: sex should take place in armchairs, or in bathrooms, or on lawns which have been brushed but not too recently mown, or on sandy beaches if you happen to have been circumcised.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Kevin Durant raps and it's not too shabby he recently collaborated with Stephen Jackson on a song about winning at life and also presumably sports, which is the topic of 99percentt of NBA raps.

Vice

At a Prince show the other week, members of the singer's security team were spotting those trying to film the gig and asking them not too, and Beyoncé recently chastised one fan for being "too busy taping".

Independent

It is not making money yet, which is why Mr Ryan, who is likely to be eyeing an initial public offering (IPO) in the not too distant future, recently adjusted the focus of the company from investment in growth to profitability.Mr Ryan's business has demography on its side.

The Economist

Along with the oil price tumble, the pieces are all up in the air, and so its not too surprising that RBS recently issued a statement announcing that it saw no prospects for investor growth this year, openly encouraging its clients to sell up, get out of the markets, seek higher ground.

Vice

Resolution: continued study of memoirs of John Birt and his 90s lieutenants for ideas on inventing obscure, overlapping new jobs; when anyone mentions DQF cuts or Hall's "slimmer BBC" mantra, pretend not to understand because arrived too recently.

The Guardian

With prices like these it's not too surprising that Tiffany's recently returned to the drawing board to design some new flower jewelry inspired by Farnham's early work.

The New York Times - Arts

Apparently, Twitter has silently replaced TinyURL as its default URL shortening service with bit.ly, a competing service that launched quite recently and not too long ago raised $2 million from several prominent angel investors.

TechCrunch

Until fairly recently it was not too difficult.

The Guardian - Sport

Still, not too many people were riding it recently.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "not too recently" to indicate a timeframe that is recent enough to be relevant but not immediate. This helps to create a sense of perspective, distinguishing it from both 'just now' and 'long ago'.

Common error

Avoid using "not too recently" in highly formal writing where more precise language is expected. Instead, specify the timeframe, such as "within the last few months" or "earlier this year".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not too recently" functions as an adverbial modifier, indicating a timeframe that is neither immediate nor distant. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "not too recently" is a grammatically sound adverbial phrase used to indicate an event occurred in the recent past, but not immediately. According to Ludwig, the phrase is correct and can be used in written English. It is most common in news and media contexts. While acceptable, it should be used cautiously in highly formal contexts where greater precision is expected. Related phrases include "not so long ago" and "some time ago". Remember to choose more precise language when the context demands it.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not in the immediate past

Focuses on excluding the very recent past.

not so long ago

Emphasizes that the event happened a noticeable time ago.

not in the very near past

Highlights the exclusion of the closest past.

within the past but not just now

Specifies a timeframe that is neither the present nor the distant past.

a while back

Informal way to express the event happened some time ago.

some time ago

General way to indicate the event occurred in the past, without being specific.

not in recent times

Focuses on the general recent period, excluding current times.

in the past few weeks/months

Specifies a period of weeks or months, implying it is not brand new.

earlier than the present moment

A more formal alternative focusing on being before now.

not in the present day

Emphasizes that the event is separated from the current time.

FAQs

How can I use "not too recently" in a sentence?

Use "not too recently" to refer to something that happened in the recent past, but not immediately. For instance, "I saw her "not too recently" at the grocery store" suggests you saw her in the past few weeks or months, but not yesterday.

What are some alternatives to saying "not too recently"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "not so long ago", "some time ago", or "in the recent past" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it correct to say "not very recently" instead of "not too recently"?

Yes, "not very recently" is a valid alternative and carries a similar meaning. Both phrases indicate that something happened in the past, but not in the immediate present.

What is the difference between "not too recently" and "not long ago"?

"Not long ago" generally suggests that the event happened more recently than ""not too recently"". The latter implies a slightly more distant past, though still within a relatively recent timeframe.