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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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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Trump and White House officials have expressed optimism that trade deals could be reached in the next few weeks, pointing to overtures from countries including Israel, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
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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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 27 Apr. 2025.
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