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
-
Young Ofelia and her pregnant mother have been brought to live in the countryside, where her brutal stepfather Captain Vidal’s job is to wipe out the remaining rebels camped in the local forest.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The concept is to reinterpret the cuisine of Brazil’s countryside, with a focus on pork, chicken, corn, and local ingredients, served in a space that feels like a casual boteco (bar), but with impeccable service.—
Jade Moyano,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
His body was behind some bushes near the back patio of an apartment, police said.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Nov. 2025
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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
-
Some disappeared from the city and were swallowed up in the Yeoman hinterland.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
But in the post-Grand Slam hinterland, with many top players resting, there are always opportunities for players on the rise.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The life of an unattractive and unintelligent young woman living in a dreary backwater in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.—
New York Times,
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
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
-
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
-
Polartec® continues to advance the frontier of all-weather performance, driving a new era of breathable, sustainable and technically superior fabric innovation focused on end users.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Nov. 2025
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Farther south, near Uruguay, oil companies hope the Pelotas Basin could be another new frontier.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backland. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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