outback

noun

ˈau̇t-ˈbak How to pronounce outback (audio)
Definition of outbacknext
as in countryside
a rural region that forms the edge of the settled or developed part of a country people who live in the Australian outback tend to be self-sufficient

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 outback Once the work is complete, the capsule reenters the atmosphere at some 18,000 miles per hour, parachuting down with a bump in the Australian outback. — Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 15 May 2026 The Deb dispute is playing out across different fronts in Los Angeles and Australia, overshadowing the feel-good movie about outback teens attending a debutante ball. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026 The changes bring a bit of the Australian outback to the zoo for koalas, which are an endangered species. — Cody Jackson, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026 On Wednesday, April 23, the star, 50, exclusively opened up to PEOPLE about the filming process of her new Netflix action thriller Apex, which is set in the Australian outback, at the movie's NYC premiere. — Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for outback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outback
  1. countryside
  2. bush
  3. frontier
  4. hinterland
  5. country
  6. backcountry
  7. backwater
Noun
  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to the United Kingdom could become their biggest privacy test yet as their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet begin school life in the English countryside.
    — Ashley Hume , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The rich landscape gives rise to diverse flavors, from rice paddies in the plains and orange groves in the valleys to grapevines in the countryside.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of countryside
Noun
  • There, wisteria blooms on trellises, raspberries ripen on bushes, a cold-plunge pool commands sweeping views of downtown Manhattan—and a chicken coop looms in the corner.
    — Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 10 Sep. 2026
  • As the plane taxied to the terminal in Pennsylvania, Grosof looked out the window and noticed members of the military in ghillie suits, a type of camouflage, with long guns in bushes surrounding the runway.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of bush
Noun
  • The company said the incidents show how harder-to-detect biological risks can emerge as frontier models become better at scientific research.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
  • So the honest accounting is that this is at least the fifth notable safety-motivated exit or mass statement from frontier labs since 2023.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of frontier
Noun
  • 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
  • In the blizzardy hinterlands, boredom is driving two soldiers mad, and a stranger’s arrival only underscores the futility of the war’s propaganda.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of hinterland
Noun
  • Many higher-income countries, though challenged by the disruption, have cushioned the blow by tapping strategic reserves or using their financial and political clout to secure emergency supplies.
    — Nana Menya Ayensu, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Bridgespan’s report finds that families in middle-income countries are more likely to administer their own programs than those in higher-income countries.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of country
Noun
  • Its multi-band GNSS sat-tracking ensures pinpoint routing through deep backcountry, while its onboard health sensors track recovery, heart rate variability, and sleep quality.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Rifle hunters may hunt in early September in select backcountry areas or in limited-entry units.
    — Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of backcountry
Noun
  • 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
  • Few ideas on Wall Street have been better than the reinvention of insurance from stodgy backwater to dealmakers’ playground.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of backwater

Browse Nearby Words

out at elbows
outback
outbalance
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Cite this Entry

“Outback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outback. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about outback

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