backlands

noun

plural of backland
as in countryside
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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for backlands
  1. countryside
  2. bush
  3. hinterland
  4. country
  5. backwater
  6. frontier
  7. outback
Noun
  • Elevated viewpoints across the surrounding countryside could make this an intriguing alternative to watching from the crowded coastline.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • And so began a mother-daughter quest that so far has taken us to a Cypriot mountain village, the British countryside, and playgrounds and arboretums across the United States to find Maya’s 337-strong genetic family and learn more about the syndrome.
    — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of countryside
Noun
  • Tortoises routinely seek shade under dense bushes, vanish into mangroves, or shelter from the scorching equatorial sun.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Residents are urged to keep an eye out for small devices like cell phones or cameras with batteries attached that are typically wrapped in tape or leaves and hidden under bushes, behind trees or near fences.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 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
  • These countries will face the costs of aging at much lower income levels than the advanced economies that aged before them, the report says, noting that in Europe, the same shift took several decades.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Some Southeast Asian countries are trying to leverage their strengths to capture more of the value chain.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of country
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 largest funding rounds are going to the frontier labs and companies doing AI research.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Near La Guajira’s border with Venezuela, the only police station for miles is a one-story, half-finished building in Castilletes, a few hundred meters from the frontier.
    — Nathan Jaccard, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of frontier
Noun
  • In the sparsely populated Australian outback, help takes time to arrive.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
  • For a uniquely Australian experience, extend your trip inland with a stay at one of the region’s vast outback stations.
    — Stuart Rigg, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of outback
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.

Browse Nearby Words

backland
backlands
backlash
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Cite this Entry

“Backlands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backlands. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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