backland

noun

ˈbak-ˌland How to pronounce backland (audio)
Definition of backlandnext
as in countryside
usually backlands plural a rural region that forms the edge of the settled or developed part of a country they purposely vacationed in the backlands to get away from people

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 backland But more migrants, moving farther into remote backlands to elude the Border Patrol, have died in scorching desert heat, a shameful indicator that enforcement is having an effect in many places. — Julia Preston, Foreign Affairs, 25 Oct. 2024 His protagonist, living in direst poverty in Brazil’s arid backlands, decides to migrate to the wealthier coast. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 1 Dec. 2019 Born in the arid backlands of Brazil’s north-east, Mr Gilberto arrived in Rio de Janeiro in 1950 as a singer in one of the then-fashionable vocal ensembles. — The Economist, 11 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backland
  1. countryside
  2. bush
  3. hinterland
  4. backwater
  5. country
  6. outback
  7. frontier
Noun
  • The Texas Department of Transportation is spending $540 million to widen and revamp stretches of I-20 and I-30 linking Fort Worth and Weatherford — a yearslong project that promises eased traffic, if not the preservation of remaining countryside.
    — Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2025
  • The surrounding area is great for biking, hiking, and anyone else who needs a dose of medicine in the form of expansive countryside.
    — Tim Nelson, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of countryside
Noun
  • By Lila Seidman Staff Writer Follow April 5, 2025 3 AM PT Poodle-dog bush, a pretty but dangerous plant, is growing in parts of the Angeles National Forest hit by recent wildfires.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025
  • The geckos come out at night – so the team also goes trekking in the dark with flashlights to look for geckos perched on leaves and bushes.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of bush
Noun
  • To anyone who has toured wineries in Tuscany, the setting rings of the Italian hinterland.
    — Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Vance and his wife Usha visited an American military base in Greenland’s remote icy hinterland after the Second Lady scaled back plans for a more public-facing trip that sparked outrage among local officials and ordinary people.
    — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of hinterland
Noun
  • Two resorts, direct flights, and an influx of tourists will mean that the island will no longer be a sleepy backwater.
    — Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
  • The slow, tranquil sojourn along the lower Mekong River, cruising through rural Cambodia and Vietnam’s backwaters, felt more like being on a 19th-century yacht than a modern cruise liner.
    — Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of backwater
Noun
  • The immense scale of the disaster has piled a fresh crisis on the impoverished Southeast Asian country, where almost 20 million people were already in need of humanitarian assistance after four years of civil war.
    — Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Friday's losses come on the heels of Thursday's nosedive after Trump announced late Wednesday sweeping 10% tariffs on all countries, effective April 5, and even higher reciprocal tariffs on a list of other countries.
    — Medora Lee, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of country
Noun
  • 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
  • Take the story of the longest living trapdoor spider, who survived in the Australian outback to the ripe age of 43.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Definition of outback
Noun
  • The push for menstrual leave may represent the next frontier in recognizing the full spectrum of women's health needs in the workplace.
    — Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Artificial Integrity is the new frontier to make AI agents integrity-led with regard to context-aware decision-making, including social, ethical, and moral reasoning, and therefore, the ability to adapt dynamically across diverse decision-making frameworks.
    — Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of frontier

Browse Nearby Words

backing (up or away)
backland
backlands
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Cite this Entry

“Backland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backland. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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