as in countryside
usually backlands plural
a rural region that forms the edge of the settled or developed part of a country
they purposely vacationed in the backlands to get away from people
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Recent Examples of backland
But more migrants, moving farther into remote backlands to elude the Border Patrol, have died in scorching desert heat, a shameful indicator that enforcement is having an effect in many places.
—
Julia Preston, Foreign Affairs, 25 Oct. 2024
His protagonist, living in direst poverty in Brazil’s arid backlands, decides to migrate to the wealthier coast.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 1 Dec. 2019
Born in the arid backlands of Brazil’s north-east, Mr Gilberto arrived in Rio de Janeiro in 1950 as a singer in one of the then-fashionable vocal ensembles.
—The Economist, 11 July 2019
Tucked in the emerald backlands of Fayetteville, Georgia, inside a cavernous soundstage at Pinewood Studios, Mara Brock-Akil is in full field marshall mode.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 19 June 2018
Patrícia Santos da Silva, 24, and her family live in the city of Santana do Ipanema, in the western backlands of Alagoas.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 1 Nov. 2017
Some escaped and formed clandestine communities in the backlands of the rainforest, independent villages known as quilombos.
—Smithsonian, 21 Sep. 2017
Julia Preston, Foreign Affairs, 25 Oct. 2024
His protagonist, living in direst poverty in Brazil’s arid backlands, decides to migrate to the wealthier coast.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 1 Dec. 2019
Born in the arid backlands of Brazil’s north-east, Mr Gilberto arrived in Rio de Janeiro in 1950 as a singer in one of the then-fashionable vocal ensembles.
—The Economist, 11 July 2019
Tucked in the emerald backlands of Fayetteville, Georgia, inside a cavernous soundstage at Pinewood Studios, Mara Brock-Akil is in full field marshall mode.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 19 June 2018
Patrícia Santos da Silva, 24, and her family live in the city of Santana do Ipanema, in the western backlands of Alagoas.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 1 Nov. 2017
Some escaped and formed clandestine communities in the backlands of the rainforest, independent villages known as quilombos.
—Smithsonian, 21 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backland
Noun
-
This 1830s-era home on the property of Pickett Hill Farm is quintessential countryside.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Maiduguri has been at the heart of deadly violence in Nigeria in the past, but has experienced relative peace in recent years, even as the countryside is often battered by extremists.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The plant to which Savolainen refers is yellow bush penstemon (Keckiella antirrhinoides).—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
14 Mar. 2026
-
An adjacent patio with a large table sits next to a low wall with hydrangea bushes overlooking the pool.—
Megan Johnson,
Architectural Digest,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Orlando was considered the hinterlands.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Expertise was often distributed between cities and their hinterlands, with cities functioning as hubs in cross-continental product networks.—
R. Alexander Bentley,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
At that time, in the 1920s, France was really a backwater in theoretical physics.—
Tim Folger,
Scientific American,
16 Mar. 2026
-
But Dublin was a European backwater then.—
Jody Mamone,
Hartford Courant,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defense council, visited the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan in the past week and said the drone defenses were deployed in those countries.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
-
In a telephone interview with Kyodo News on Friday, Araghchi denied closing the passageway, insisting instead that countries attacking Iran face restrictions, while others were being offered assistance.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Both Benna and Einhorn were used to André pitching outrageous concepts in conversation over the years, whether in regard to a new client or a road trip involving some remote outback and hallucinogens.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
7 Mar. 2026
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Black lives don’t matter in Warwick Thornton’s fiercely original outback Western Wolfram, a surprisingly emotional genre piece that simmers with menace and doesn’t let up until the bloody finale.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Approximately 2,000 years ago, the Antonine Wall divided Scotland into two as the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, stretching about 37 miles long.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
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The next frontier isn’t digital intelligence that can describe the world.—
Vivek Ranadive,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backland. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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