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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Recent Examples of backwater
China’s Underground Historians and Their Battle for the Future
by Ian Johnson
Sigrid Nunez
A Hero for Cro-MAGA Times
Charles Baxter’s new novel follows the moral travails of a rock-steady insurance salesman in a dystopian Ohio backwater.
—
James Gleick, The New York Review of Books, 7 Feb. 2025
Chaotic warrens in rundown backwaters, such as the desolate apartment complex where Beibei’s grandmother used to live, suggest neglect that’s far from benign.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2025
Why are the Ukrainians risking lives and resources on a comparatively meaningless action in a sector that’s a relative backwater, when critical Ukrainian strongpoints in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast are under relentless Russian assault?
—David Axe, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Several companies have tested their autonomous vehicles in Japan, but the country is a bit of a backwater compared to China and the US.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for backwater
James Gleick, The New York Review of Books, 7 Feb. 2025
Chaotic warrens in rundown backwaters, such as the desolate apartment complex where Beibei’s grandmother used to live, suggest neglect that’s far from benign.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2025
Why are the Ukrainians risking lives and resources on a comparatively meaningless action in a sector that’s a relative backwater, when critical Ukrainian strongpoints in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast are under relentless Russian assault?
—David Axe, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Several companies have tested their autonomous vehicles in Japan, but the country is a bit of a backwater compared to China and the US.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 17 Dec. 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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It’s been impossible to avoid the breaking news of a songstress in space, the final frontier for pop.—
Raven Smith,
Vogue,
15 Apr. 2025
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Katy Perry says her brief trip to the final frontier changed her in significant ways.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Be aware of other safety rules, such as not planting a small bush directly under a tree, which might lead to a fire ladder.—
Pamela Noensie,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2025
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No matter which kind of rose you plant, choosing a good site for planting will give you a better chance for healthy rose bushes.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But past Democratic and Republican presidents have used their parole authorities to allow people from countries in turmoil to come to the United States, including Soviet and Vietnamese citizens.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2025
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This was Brontë country—a landscape of bleak moors, steep valleys, and small towns nestled in the hollows.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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
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But air power alone rarely wins wars, and the Houthis have the advantage of a remote, mountainous hinterland where much of their arsenal is probably safe from harm.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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
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Specifically, scientists mentioned the Sturt Stony Desert, an outback desert in South Australia, as a potential place to look.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backwater. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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