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
-
The backstory Having met at Cambridge, Caitlin Owens and Paul Glade combined their sharp hotelier and architectural minds to draw up plans for a regenerative organic farm in the Devon countryside.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The show, adapted from Jilly Cooper’s beloved books, is set against the backdrop of the stunning Cotswolds countryside and the glamorous, high-stakes world of 1980s British television.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Otaegui came to the par-5 18th needing birdie to force a playoff and hit his tee shot into a bush to the right.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
When selecting plants like beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes, look for determinate or bush-type plants—these varieties stay small and are well-adapted to containers.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On arrival, guests are paired with a personal local guide–think of it as the hinterland’s answer to a butler—on hand to arrange everything from restaurant bookings to last-minute requests, typically handled with a quick text.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Moreover, as soon as Christianity began to spread outside his native land, Christian converts faced new situations in unexpected contexts, completely different from those of their founder, an itinerant Jewish preacher in the sparsely populated hinterlands of rural Galilee.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
This will be one of a record nine international games scheduled for the 2026 season, which will take place across four continents in seven countries.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Italy’s navy chief of staff Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto told state broadcaster RAI this week that his country is ready to deploy up to four vessels to help clear the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Deb dispute is playing out across different fronts in Los Angeles and Australia, overshadowing the feel-good movie about outback teens attending a debutante ball.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Experts also noted that DeepSeek made no reference to using Chinese chips during training, which is a notable omission given the broader push for technological self-sufficiency, and one that stands out as the model continues to lag behind leading US frontier systems.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
-
But the new frontier in the talent war speaks to AI giants’ changing priorities.—
Seema Mody,Kate Rooney,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backland. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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