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
-
Many Tehran residents have fled to the countryside, while those who remain shelter at home, living in fear of constant bombardment.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
To wind down from filming in the tough inner city, the duo would ride out into the Maryland countryside on horses owned by Jean Albert Renault, a former Motown singer.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Details are carefully considered, with blackout curtains, an air conditioning unit in the headboard, a mosquito net canopy, and a large wardrobe stocked with robes, slippers, a yoga mat, and other bush essentials.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
-
While spraying the foliage with herbicide could damage the other bushes, painting the cut ends of stumps with a paintbrush avoids that problem.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Orlando was considered the hinterlands.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Expertise was often distributed between cities and their hinterlands, with cities functioning as hubs in cross-continental product networks.—
R. Alexander Bentley,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Saturated in the heatwave colors of Australia’s scorching Red Center, with its searing blue skies and bright orange sands, Wolfram makes the grim, lawless backwater of Wake in Fright seem positively cosmopolitan by comparison.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
-
In the hockey world, the borough would go from backwater to mecca.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But some Iranian Americans fear that their native country could descend into chaos, as Iraq did after the 2003 American invasion.—
Jack Dolan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
This issue will keep getting worse — and lost dollars will continue to grow — if our country’s leaders fail to implement smart policies to prevent scams.—
Letters to the Editor,
Washington Post,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
During the mid- to late-19th-century, Austin fit the image of a routinely violent frontier town.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
After all, Concrete Cowboy isn’t set in the great wide open of the American frontier.—
Sezin Devi Keohler,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backland. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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