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
By 60 feet, forecasters say residents should expect significant flooding in East End, California and New Richmond, Ohio, as well as backwater floods in Silver Grove, Kentucky, and riverfront buildings flooded in Aurora, Indiana.
—
Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Similarly, in Anhui Province in eastern China, the city of Hefei has transformed from a poor backwater into a crucial hub for the electric vehicle industry.
—Damien Ma, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2025
But the state’s chronically high electric rates combined with the disappearance of trust between regulators and utilities has transformed PURA from political backwater to lightning rod and Republican criticism of Lamont’s decision was immediate.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 30 June 2025
His fiction is set all over the place—genteel backwaters like Miami, Hollywood, and Atlantic City, with excursions as far afield as the Dominican Republic, Italy, and Israel.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for backwater
Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Similarly, in Anhui Province in eastern China, the city of Hefei has transformed from a poor backwater into a crucial hub for the electric vehicle industry.
—Damien Ma, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2025
But the state’s chronically high electric rates combined with the disappearance of trust between regulators and utilities has transformed PURA from political backwater to lightning rod and Republican criticism of Lamont’s decision was immediate.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 30 June 2025
His fiction is set all over the place—genteel backwaters like Miami, Hollywood, and Atlantic City, with excursions as far afield as the Dominican Republic, Italy, and Israel.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for backwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backwater
Noun
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The show will be staged inside a house that’s meant to replicates an old village house, one not so dissimilar to Marie Antoinette’s countryside retreat, Hameau de la Reine, on the grounds of Versailles.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
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Nestled in the countryside near the picturesque village of Gordes, the 12-bedroom home offers striking mountain views along with a range of picturesque outdoor perks that include a heated pool, hammock, pétanque court, and an elegant garden.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Architectural Digest,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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On Thursday, Tien Kung became the first humanoid robot to test running shoes in Beijing, opening a new frontier in sports product development.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
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From Ozone Protection To Climate Action The next frontier is connecting ozone protection with climate action.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Messages Robinson is believed to have sent on Discord stated a need to retrieve a rifle from a pick-up point, leaving the rifle in a bush, watching the area where a rifle was left and having wrapped the rifle in a towel, according to the affidavit.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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Jurors saw some wobbling footage that appeared to be taken from inside a bush, though prosecutors did not explicitly make clear if the footage was taken from Routh's perch.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Refugeoly is designed to navigate your way from a country in conflict to a country that grants you asylum, essentially a new home.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Sep. 2025
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The outpouring of support for Qatar after Israel’s attack on a Hamas compound in Doha was notable, given that many of the same countries had embargoed it only a few years ago.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But in the post-Grand Slam hinterland, with many top players resting, there are always opportunities for players on the rise.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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But in 2007, Israeli intelligence serendipitously stumbled on evidence of a Syrian nuclear reactor—a miniature replica of North Korea’s Yongbyon facility—that was housed in a nondescript, aboveground complex in the hinterland near the Euphrates River.—
VIPIN NARANG,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The blood-pumping thriller starts with a man and his young son arriving at a rave in the Moroccan outback looking for their daughter/sister.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
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As night settled across the Australian outback, a rare bird emerged from its hiding place and moved across the ground.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backwater. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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