backwater

noun

ˈbak-ˌwȯ-tər How to pronounce backwater (audio)
Definition of backwaternext
as in countryside
a rural region that forms the edge of the settled or developed part of a country a distant backwater that didn't even have electricity at that time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of backwater For decades, seabed cartography was a scientific backwater. — Natalie Sum Yue Chung, Fortune, 3 May 2026 Bolon also warned drivers about the difference between backwater flooding upstream and rushing water. — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2026 Some of the coolest crappie fishing of the year occurs in backwaters that are easily accessible by foot. — Cory Schmidt, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2026 Gold transformed Victoria from a pastoral backwater into the most celebrated colony of the empire. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for backwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backwater
  1. countryside
  2. frontier
  3. bush
  4. country
  5. hinterland
  6. outback
Noun
  • Visitors can take a break in the countryside without needing to fly, and each town has its own unique scenery, so every trip feels new.
    — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The second story in the Faraway trilogy, the film and book follow three siblings who move to the English countryside and discover a magical tree and its fantastical inhabitants.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
Definition of countryside
Noun
  • These large frontier models already are used to screen job applicants, inform medical decisions, and shape what millions read and believe.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The film follows Tom Adams (Fraser), an architect of the future who launches a historic expedition to Mars, positioning himself at the forefront of humanity’s next great frontier.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of frontier
Noun
  • Right now, the blueberry bushes on Martha’s Bedford farm are laden with the delicious fruit—almost every branch is full.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026
  • Summer meant waiting until those wild berry bushes hidden in the woods near grandma’s house were finally ripe for the picking.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 July 2026
Definition of bush
Noun
  • The release came as calls are growing from other countries, including Myanmar's fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, for access to or engagement with Suu Kyi as part of efforts to resolve the country's political crisis.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • City and country converge at this Oklahoma City carriage house, which can sleep up to four guests.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of country
Noun
  • Putin began a neo-imperialist land grab, seizing territory around Russia’s hinterlands.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
  • The four siblings – Anna, Jack, middle brother Ed (Callum Turner) and younger brother Robert (Lukas Gage) – are all adult and all still living at the family home, a modernist property in the hinterlands of Catalonia, Spain.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Definition of hinterland
Noun
  • Sydney Harbor will offer the latter, but eclipse chasers will head to remote areas of the Australian outback for the former.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Broken Hill Those traveling between Sydney and Adelaide will stop at this outback mining town, which has some of the world’s largest silver, lead, and zinc mineral deposits.
    — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2026
Definition of outback

Browse Nearby Words

backwashes
backwater
backwoods
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Cite this Entry

“Backwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backwater. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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