Learn English – ny idiom to describe something that happened recently

idiom-requestssingle-word-requests

Is there any idiom to describe something that happened recently? I am looking for something exactly synonymous with "recently", I googled it alot, however i didn't find what exactly i was looking for.

Example Sentence:

It happened ____________ [recently].

(please provide a accurate replacement of the word "recently", A word or idiom that could be used as an exact alternative)

Best Answer

You may use "a while ago/back" as a substitute. Although it means “a short or moderate time ago”, I guess it still works because recently itself is subjective.

dictionary.com:

a while back
Also, a while ago.
Some time in the past, as in I ran into Barbara a while back but didn't get her new address, or John wrote me a while ago about his new baby.
This term uses a while in the sense of “a short or moderate time,” a usage dating from about 1300.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.