backwoods 1 of 2

Definition of backwoodsnext
as in countryside
a rural region that forms the edge of the settled or developed part of a country lived far out in the backwoods and raised hogs for a living

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

backwoods

2 of 2

adjective

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 backwoods
Adjective
The Curse of Buckout Road Witches burning at the stake, backwoods albino killers and a modern day stalker prove to be more than urban legends on this New York state byway. Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2019 The weekend gets going on Friday with music from Gator Nate, the lovable backwoods yahoo and role model for many a UF pledge. Ben Crandell, sun-sentinel.com, 22 Aug. 2019 Clustered among pine forests and sunny prairies along scenic backwoods roads 20 miles south of town, Perkins Tank and JD Dam Lake comprise a water-centric tour of the Kaibab National Forest’s southern sector. Mare Czinar, azcentral, 5 July 2019 Think of the backwoods ranger and Minuteman, the Confederate cavalry officer, the flying ace of World War I, the commando, the Green Beret and SEAL. John F. Ross, WSJ, 4 June 2019 See All Example Sentences for backwoods
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backwoods
Adjective
  • Djena grew up in Mandiana, a rural town in the eastern part of the country.
    Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • The system, which serves 100,000 residents in Iowa City and its surrounding, mostly rural communities, typifies the challenges most libraries face.
    Adeel Hassan, New York Times, 18 May 2026
Adjective
  • There are two teenage boys in the film, Haruki (Waku Kawaguchi) and Keita (Kiyora Fuiwara), whose inchoate erotic feelings for one another, a love that can still barely say its name in provincial Japan, forms a subplot here.
    Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
  • The trade war’s latest turn Those provincial restrictions remained in place even after the two countries reached a partial deal exempting about half of USMCA‑compliant goods from ongoing tariffs in summer 2025, leading Canada to scale back some retaliatory levies.
    Andrew Muhammad, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Adjective
  • He’s best known for a countrified new-wave band called Rubber Rodeo, with Gary Leib, a SUSS cofounder who died in 2021.
    Brian Howe, Pitchfork, 12 May 2026
  • Timed to coincide with Cactus League spring training, the countrified Innings Fest offshoot is in its third year, bringing 20 artists with no overlapping sets to two main stages.
    Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The hantavirus outbreak aboard the Hondius last month prompted a multi-country response and the hospitalization of passengers in Britain, France, Spain and the United States.
    ABC News, ABC News, 13 May 2026
  • According to the report, the multi-country Global Monitoring System between April 2024 and March of this year identified about 22,000 ads for 267,000 wildlife products, involving about 8,500 live animals and about 258,000 items of animal meat, parts and extracts.
    Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Adjective
  • Westport is in the heart of the Farm Coast, a term that captures the bucolic character of the rural coastline between Little Compton, Rhode Island, and Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
    Anna Laird Barto, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026
  • And against the bucolic backdrop, the women settle into a contemplative, shared existence, probing themselves and each other.
    Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 12 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backwoods.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backwoods. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on backwoods

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster