Thesaurus results for BACKLAND

backland

noun

ˈbak-ˌland

Definition of backland

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for backland

Noun

The hotel is able to arrange private excursions well beyond the city, from visits to a farm in Lucerne’s countryside to Alpine hikes and cruises along Lake Zurich.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026
The portraits in the album—family outings in the countryside, a wedding party, domestic gatherings—are, at first glance, unexceptional, even banal.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of countryside

Noun

The technology isn’t perfect, Walsh said; if Gus had crawled beneath a bush to sleep, the camera wouldn’t necessarily find him.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
Check for tours of her Tudor Revival home and the English-style garden filled with holly, lilac, and juniper bushes.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of bush

Noun

In any event, relocating an entertainment behemoth out of California, to some entertainment hinterland like those states, would be more complicated and certainly costly than staying put.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
At the very least, regionalism marked a spatial recalibration in the literary imaginary, away from European metropoles and national capitals and toward rural hinterlands.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of hinterland

Noun

Navigate the biodiverse backwaters of Choctawhatchee Bay or visit Destin, the perfect beach town for kiteboarding and snorkeling.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
No one predicted the sleepy backwater of Sassnitz would be rebranded ‘Crashnitz’ or ‘Smashnitz’ by the end of the first edition of the German Sail Grand Prix last year.

— Andrew Rice, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of backwater

Noun

The measure would have barred Switzerland from joining punitive measures against other countries unless they were imposed by the United Nations.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
Second, the two countries agreed to hold an AI dialogue in the next two months, and establish a communication channel for AI incidents.

— Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of country

Noun

With private investment and the backing of the Defense Department in some cases, Carnegie Mellon faculty are pacing the frontier of AI-powered robotic applications.

— Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
The companies have signed a multi-year agreement to jointly develop GPT-Synopsys, which will combine OpenAI’s frontier models with Synopsys’ electronic design automation (EDA) software and semiconductor expertise.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of frontier

Cite this Entry

Style

“Backland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backland. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of backland

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

heterodox

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes