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
Noun
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There’s a car chase through the countryside that’s all straining steel and revving engines and a sequence in a London nightclub — every action movie apparently needs one — that shows off close-quarter murder beautifully choreographed as clueless dancers sway.—
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
29 Jan. 2026 -
The greenery, towering 20 feet above the congregation, brought scents of the forest into the Abbey, and it was said at the time to reflect the couple’s love of the countryside.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Now the birds’ favored nesting habitats, the native pisonia trees and octopus bushes, are back.—
Susan Casey,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
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The tracks of Eastern cottontail are also a common sight — especially near thickets of chokecherry, elderberry and other bushes that provide safe shelter.—
Susan Koch,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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The military leader of the West African country has accused the presidents of France, Benin and Ivory Coast of supporting the armed group behind the attack, without providing any evidence to support the claim.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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China for decades has cultivated an extensive network of ties across Latin America and the Caribbean, a region that encompasses more than 30 countries and 670 million people.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The film takes place in a dreary town in Victoria, Australia, a drab industrial backwater whose people — or, at least some of whom — flock to religion to give their lives the brightness of hope and higher purpose.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
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The Arctic is no longer a frozen backwater.—
Paul McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Strategics keep sharpening their focus on India as a next frontier for beauty.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
13 Jan. 2026
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Across industries and institutions, people are confronting an unfamiliar frontier.—
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
Time,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The musical comedy, chronicling the lives of outback Aussie teens attending a debutante ball, was due to release today, January 15, in Australia.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
15 Jan. 2026
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From long-distance outback touring to coastal van life, Australian travelers rely on consistent power for fridges, lighting, and essential electronics.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Backlands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backlands. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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