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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of backwater
Just as Peter’s moving of his court transformed Moscow into a backwater for out-of-favor nobles, Carson’s helped to usher out the era when the Big Apple could claim to have cultural parity with Hollywood.
—
Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2024
The serene backwater adjacent to the mounds is connected to the Mississippi River's main channel by Johnson Slough.
—Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2024
The last time the eye of a major storm like Hurricane Milton struck Tampa Bay, in 1921, the city was a sleepy backwater of a few hundred thousand people.
—Terry Spencer, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 2024
General relativity — Einstein’s theory that matter and energy warp space-time and that this warping is gravity — had fallen into the backwaters of physics, outshined by progress in quantum mechanics.
—Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for backwater
Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2024
The serene backwater adjacent to the mounds is connected to the Mississippi River's main channel by Johnson Slough.
—Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2024
The last time the eye of a major storm like Hurricane Milton struck Tampa Bay, in 1921, the city was a sleepy backwater of a few hundred thousand people.
—Terry Spencer, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 2024
General relativity — Einstein’s theory that matter and energy warp space-time and that this warping is gravity — had fallen into the backwaters of physics, outshined by progress in quantum mechanics.
—Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for backwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backwater
Noun
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Terrified, Michelle sought safety in the countryside.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
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But those familiar with the Arizona countryside seemed familiar with the concept of a kid wandering off to explore.—
Brooke Baitinger,
Sacbee.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The advertising frontier represents yet another example of how crypto casinos operate in regulatory gray areas, constantly adapting to reach audiences globally from day one.—
Boaz Sobrado,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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Phoenix 1, a prototype spacecraft built by German company Atmos Space Cargo, rode to the final frontier on April 21 via SpaceX's Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The island is thick with bush, and there are many places for a small dog to hide.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
28 Apr. 2025
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Lamb’s residence was fenced and shielded from view by bushes.—
Jonathan Shorman,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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It's been just a tremendous loser for this country.—
Bonnie Bolden,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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Spain’s Interior Ministry declared a state of emergency after a massive power outage hit Spain and Portugal on Monday, knocking out traffic lights and forcing the evacuation of subway systems in both countries, among other disruptions.—
Greg Norman , Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In The Bulwark, Jonathan V. Last emphasized the strategic advantage of a movement that makes its way from the hinterlands toward Washington.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2025
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Each has its own habitués, its own charm, its own scene: Giglio Island; the Monte Argentario peninsula; and a long stretch of beach, dune, and rural hinterland that centers on a cute hill town called Capalbio.—
Lee Marshall,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Read Next World Armless creature with clawed toes found in Australian outback.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2025
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Finding escaped marsupials in the vast Australian outback may sound much harder than finding a needle in a haystack.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backwater. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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