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 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 Both Benna and Einhorn were used to André pitching outrageous concepts in conversation over the years, whether in regard to a new client or a road trip involving some remote outback and hallucinogens. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 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
  • Visitors can take a break in the countryside without needing to fly, and each town has its own unique scenery, so every trip feels new.
    — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The second story in the Faraway trilogy, the film and book follow three siblings who move to the English countryside and discover a magical tree and its fantastical inhabitants.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
Definition of countryside
Noun
  • Right now, the blueberry bushes on Martha’s Bedford farm are laden with the delicious fruit—almost every branch is full.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026
  • Summer meant waiting until those wild berry bushes hidden in the woods near grandma’s house were finally ripe for the picking.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 July 2026
Definition of bush
Noun
  • The director is a descendant of the First Nations, and the film questions the colonial myth of what is beyond the frontier and how this myth still affects people.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
  • Thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory of Ceuta from Morocco on Thursday, prompting local officials to call on Spain to declare a national emergency and send the army to restore the frontier.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of frontier
Noun
  • The four siblings – Anna, Jack, middle brother Ed (Callum Turner) and younger brother Robert (Lukas Gage) – are all adult and all still living at the family home, a modernist property in the hinterlands of Catalonia, Spain.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • Indeed, Ukrainian strikes on oil infrastructure have created major gas shortages that are bedeviling much of the Russian hinterland.
    — Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 30 June 2026
Definition of hinterland
Noun
  • The release came as calls are growing from other countries, including Myanmar's fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, for access to or engagement with Suu Kyi as part of efforts to resolve the country's political crisis.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • City and country converge at this Oklahoma City carriage house, which can sleep up to four guests.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of country
Noun
  • The huts, which are available for rent, provide shelter to backcountry skiers, hikers, sheep herders and others exploring the state’s alpine wilderness.
    — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 30 July 2026
  • Don’t rely on cell service alone, since coverage is spotty or nonexistent in most backcountry areas.
    — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Definition of backcountry
Noun
  • 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
Definition of backwater

Browse Nearby Words

out at elbows
outback
outbalance
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Outback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outback. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on outback

Nglish: Translation of outback for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about outback

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