backwater
noun
back·wa·ter
ˈbak-ˌwȯ-tər 
-ˌwä-
1
a
: water backed up in its course by an obstruction, an opposing current, or the tide
b
: a body of water (such as an inlet or tributary) that is out of the main current of a larger body
2
a
: an isolated or backward place or condition
b
: an unpopular or unimportant field (as of study or business)
Synonyms
Examples of backwater in a Sentence
The once sleepy backwater is now a thriving city.
a distant backwater that didn't even have electricity at that time
Recent Examples on the Web
Not as a backwater or as a crucible of intolerance, but as a soccer team: bold and courageous and hopeful and refreshing.
—
Rory Smith, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Platoon, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, and many other films portrayed American heroes fighting their way through a dystopian backwater and then dealing with the psychic toll of defeat back home.
—Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 9 Apr. 2024
The pilot site is small and sits near McGregor Lake, an expansive river backwater between Wisconsin and Iowa.
—Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024
While the backwaters are a star attraction, the state offers much more to explore, from the tea plantations of Munnar, known for its cool climate and seemingly endless rolling hills, to the historic city of Kochi, celebrated in equal measure for its rich coastal history and contemporary art scene.
—Margot Bigg, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2024
The fish were historically found in backwaters and sloughs along the lower Colorado River and in slow-moving seeps and streams in the Salton Sink basin, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
The fish put a deep bend in her plug rod and fought doggedly in the backwater slough off the Ohio River in West Virginia.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 21 Mar. 2024
More:Climate change imperils the upper Mississippi River backwaters.
—Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024
But given the lack of cricket grounds in the cricket backwater, with the popular British Commonwealth sport played on unique dimensions, New York slate of matches will be played at the 34,000-seat modular stadium in Eisenhower Park, which is 30 miles east of Manhattan.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Rory Smith, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Platoon, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, and many other films portrayed American heroes fighting their way through a dystopian backwater and then dealing with the psychic toll of defeat back home.
—Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 9 Apr. 2024
The pilot site is small and sits near McGregor Lake, an expansive river backwater between Wisconsin and Iowa.
—Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024
While the backwaters are a star attraction, the state offers much more to explore, from the tea plantations of Munnar, known for its cool climate and seemingly endless rolling hills, to the historic city of Kochi, celebrated in equal measure for its rich coastal history and contemporary art scene.
—Margot Bigg, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2024
The fish were historically found in backwaters and sloughs along the lower Colorado River and in slow-moving seeps and streams in the Salton Sink basin, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
The fish put a deep bend in her plug rod and fought doggedly in the backwater slough off the Ohio River in West Virginia.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 21 Mar. 2024
More:Climate change imperils the upper Mississippi River backwaters.
—Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024
But given the lack of cricket grounds in the cricket backwater, with the popular British Commonwealth sport played on unique dimensions, New York slate of matches will be played at the 34,000-seat modular stadium in Eisenhower Park, which is 30 miles east of Manhattan.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backwater.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near backwater
Cite this Entry
“Backwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backwater. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backwater
noun
back·wa·ter
ˈbak-ˌwȯt-ər
-ˌwät-
1
: water held or turned back from its course
2
: a backward place or condition
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