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
-
Alan Cumming and his extravagant outfits are back, hosting a brand new group of 23 Traitors and Faithfuls in the Scottish countryside.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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Think clawfoot tubs overlooking rolling countryside and sliding barn doors separating farmhouse chic living spaces.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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His body was behind some bushes near the back patio of an apartment, police said.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Since 'Barbra’s Baby' is a new cultivar, there just aren’t that many of these rose bushes available.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Sellew is a bold new voice, using sharp, stylish prose to explore the hinterland of contemporary mating.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
In the arid Brazilian hinterland, girls play poised between their mothers’ difficult pasts and fantastic dreams for the future.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Few beyond North Carolina’s borders grasp the outsize role Newby, 70, has played in transforming the state’s top court from a relatively harmonious judicial backwater to a front-line partisan battleground since his election in 2004.—
Doug Bock Clark,
ProPublica,
30 Dec. 2025
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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,
CBS News,
7 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Women from 130 countries are participating in this year’s edition, which concludes on November 21 with the crowning of the winner.—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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With trials underway in multiple countries, electric roads are now drawing global attention.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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While locations like a solar panel farm in the Australian outback fit the bill for near-future ground war, the result mostly feels sterile, amounting to a bunch of empty pathways bathed in stark daylight.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Oct. 2025
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The blood-pumping thriller starts with a man and his young son arriving at a rave in the Moroccan outback looking for their daughter/sister.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, an emerging geographic frontier for beauty in 2026 is India.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
6 Jan. 2026
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This is the real end of the frontier.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backland. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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