backwater

noun

ˈbak-ˌwȯ-tər How to pronounce backwater (audio)
Definition of backwaternext
as in countryside
a rural region that forms the edge of the settled or developed part of a country a distant backwater that didn't even have electricity at that time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 backwater Although Hal’s remit encompasses the entire interplanetary backwater that includes Earth, Lanterns takes place mostly in the rural American town of Rushville, Neb. — Judy Berman, Time, 14 Aug. 2026 Without the aid of cold water, officials are electrofishing and netting in the river to remove invasives, and are considering dosing some sloughs and backwaters in the first miles below the dam with fish-killing chemicals. — Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 14 Aug. 2026 Fully restored to its original glory, the mansion is located on the banks of the backwaters of Kerala, and is only accessible by boat from the mainland. — Rumit Mehta, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2026 The movie goes from this weird, seedy love motel to the industrial backwaters, and these long walks and talks down empty streets. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for backwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backwater
  1. countryside
  2. frontier
  3. bush
  4. country
  5. hinterland
  6. outback
Noun
  • Over the years, the Cotswolds, in the English countryside, have become a retreat for numerous celebrities, including Jeremy Clarkson, David and Victoria Beckham, and Kate Moss.
    — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The sweeping wins were driven by a rare coalition of voters across nearly all walks of American life, in cities and countryside, from the rural Midwest and Deep South to a traditionally conservative mid-Atlantic.
    — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of countryside
Noun
  • Away from the final frontier, Mark can be found walking his dog along the country lanes of England’s Cotswolds.
    — Mark Piesing, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The trade is wobbling as concerns about frontier model profitability, capital expenditures, corporate cash balances, debt levels among smaller cloud companies and macroeconomic factors weigh on investor confidence.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of frontier
Noun
  • Trees, shrubs, bushes, and hedges add beauty, privacy, and seasonal interest and they can be used in different ways.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Meals are prepared in-house and feature seasonal Alaska ingredients, such as Copper River king salmon and low-bush cranberries that the chef team foraged.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of bush
Noun
  • This raised concerns that European countries might be sidelined in negotiations over their own security.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Delegates are expected to focus on carrying out existing climate pledges, expanding renewable energy and helping poorer countries adapt to rising temperatures and extreme weather.
    — Suzan Fraser, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of country
Noun
  • In the hinterlands of Patagonia, ranching outposts tend to share a common set of features.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • His solo debut, Heavy Metal, landed softly in the December hinterlands of 2024, and with it a murmuration of these little fibs.
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of hinterland
Noun
  • But unlike most Israeli expatriates, his return voyage was a 10,000-mile, 30-plus-hour odyssey from a remote sheep station in the Australian outback to his village in the Galilee, in northern Israel.
    — Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Miami Beach, once an outback on the map of the international art world, is now able to make an argument for itself as a cultural hub.
    — Brian Boucher for Artnet News, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of outback

Browse Nearby Words

backwashes
backwater
backwoods
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backwater. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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