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
More:Climate change imperils the upper Mississippi River backwaters.
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Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 24 May 2024
My journey ended in Kerala's serene backwaters, at Kayal Island Retreat on the island of Kakkathuruthu.
—Vasudha Rai, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2023
The country’s transition from repressive backwater to democratic powerhouse was complete.
—Hahm Chaibong, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2018
By contrast, Argentina has remained a poor backwater thanks in part to its far-reaching price controls.
—Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for backwater 
Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 24 May 2024
My journey ended in Kerala's serene backwaters, at Kayal Island Retreat on the island of Kakkathuruthu.
—Vasudha Rai, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2023
The country’s transition from repressive backwater to democratic powerhouse was complete.
—Hahm Chaibong, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2018
By contrast, Argentina has remained a poor backwater thanks in part to its far-reaching price controls.
—Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for backwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backwater
Noun
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Overly precocious George jumps from the train to the countryside and, in true Dickensian fashion, encounters some helpful people as well as some unsavory types on his treacherous trek back home.Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Newsweek previously reported that this breed has historically been used for hunting hares in the Spanish countryside.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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For the 29th year, GQ’s annual Men of the Year is giving it up to bold boundary breakers, the men and women who pushed culture into new frontiers in 2024—on their own terms.GQ, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2024
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The shift announced Thursday will bring more of the revolutionary AI technology that Google already has been baking into its dominant search engine to the digital maps service that the internet company launched nearly 20 years ago as part of its efforts to expand into new frontiers.Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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For Virginian Heather Bien, that meant capturing her vacation rental’s bountiful rose bushes and its perch above the river below.Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2024
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In her work at the cemetery, which has become overgrown with thorn bushes and weeds, Hanson has reportedly uncovered approximately 100 gravesites.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The virus’ spread prompted the World Health Organization in August to declare a public health emergency of international concern, particularly as the virus spread to several other neighboring countries in Africa.Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
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At Zhuhai, its chief commercial officer, Martyn Holmes, noted that China’s President Xi Jinping would visit Brazil for the G20 summit that will be held in that country this month.Reuters, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The artist was known for creating sculptures, often using leather and tree branches, to be exhibited for the benefit of a community living in the stark, desert-like conditions of the Bahia hinterlands.Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 1 Nov. 2024
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Jeremy Strong has ignited Oscar chat with his performance in The Apprentice as Roy Cohn, Donald Trump’s mentor and lawyer during his hinterland as a property developer in Manhattan, but he’s revealed that every studio initially passed on the project.Caroline Frost, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2024
Noun
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When the idea was initially conceived, under a full moon in Australia’s outback, the pair had planned to meet and get married in the middle.Stephy Chung, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024
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The night parrot—a brilliantly colored, nocturnal bird—once thrived in Australia’s outback.Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Backwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backwater. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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