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
-
Private yoga sessions, horseback riding, bike rides, and hikes through the surrounding countryside constitute much of Son Xotano’s wellness offering.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Adding further to the overall tension is the looming presence of a murderous knight in full armor roaming the countryside.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hwange provides a more secluded bush experience than many safari destinations.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Encasing the entire property, from the street, past the 5,600 square-foot mansion and around those nice bushes, is a paved driveway that spills into a private cul-de-sac next to the garage.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Topics ranged from the connection between housing and economic development to the presence of NIMBYism in America’s hinterland.—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
In the hockey world, the borough would go from backwater to mecca.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In 2002 Bisignano took charge at a Citi backwater called Global Transactions Services that was then losing $3 billion a year.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
According to internal administration documents reviewed by The Associated Press, there are 47 third-country agreements at various stages of negotiation.—
STEPHEN GROVES,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Indeed, each of these three countries have sought to offer support to Cuba in recent days.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Users were able to comment on posts about the Australian outback incident by local news outlets.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For Catalonia, the remaining frontier is scale.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
India and Beijing had summit-level engagement despite enduring border tensions along the Himalayan frontier.—
Dewardric L. McNeal,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backland. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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