He had come to like Shakuntala, in a distant sort of way.

We were quite friendly, but in a distant sort of way.

But he also suspected the two feelings were related, in a distant sort of way.

A King was a distant sort of being, bright and mysterious, like the sun.

He was handsome in an austere and distant sort of way.

Sara smiled at him in a strange, distant sort of way.

Mary was a distant sort of creature, or she could be.

He'd considered capture in a distant sort of way.

He looked quite distinguished in a distant, aloof sort of way.

I'd gone to school with Carl, and we were friends, in a strange, distant sort of way.