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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of backwater
The nightclub, located along the Arpora River backwaters, had a narrow entry and exit that forced the firefighters to park their tankers about 1,300 feet away, delaying the efforts, the news agency said.
—
CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
It’s described as a love letter to the beaches, backwaters and basements of a misunderstood yet magical state.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025
The life of an unattractive and unintelligent young woman living in a dreary backwater in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Unlike Bacalar, which is relatively new to tourism, Tulum has been transformed from a sleepy backwater into a pumping party town.
—Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backwater
CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
It’s described as a love letter to the beaches, backwaters and basements of a misunderstood yet magical state.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025
The life of an unattractive and unintelligent young woman living in a dreary backwater in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Unlike Bacalar, which is relatively new to tourism, Tulum has been transformed from a sleepy backwater into a pumping party town.
—Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backwater
Noun
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Coastal meets countryside at the Fasano Punta del Este in Uruguay.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
22 Jan. 2026
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Syria’s Ministry of Interior said Monday that security forces had recaptured 81 of the 120 ISIS prisoners who escaped from the al-Shaddadi prison in the Hasakah countryside and were continuing efforts to track down the remaining escapees.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Strategics keep sharpening their focus on India as a next frontier for beauty.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Across industries and institutions, people are confronting an unfamiliar frontier.—
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
Time,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Now the birds’ favored nesting habitats, the native pisonia trees and octopus bushes, are back.—
Susan Casey,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
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The tracks of Eastern cottontail are also a common sight — especially near thickets of chokecherry, elderberry and other bushes that provide safe shelter.—
Susan Koch,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Last year, country trio Rascal Flatts came roaring back to life with their first tour since 2019.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
24 Jan. 2026
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The diplomatic fallout has been reworked into cooperation between the two countries.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Quick, frequent rail connections between a large city and its hinterland are a fundamental of modern economic geography.—
F.K. Plous,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
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To go from the hinterlands and winterlands of Green Bay to Miami, where people save all year to go on vacation, is jarring enough.—
Greg Cote
January 22,
Miami Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The musical comedy, chronicling the lives of outback Aussie teens attending a debutante ball, was due to release today, January 15, in Australia.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
15 Jan. 2026
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From long-distance outback touring to coastal van life, Australian travelers rely on consistent power for fridges, lighting, and essential electronics.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backwater. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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