backlands

plural of backland
as in countryside
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for backlands
Noun
  • Another theory is that with the fall harvest nearly complete, now is a relatively safe time to deport farmworkers in the countryside without immediately worrying about empty shelves in supermarkets, Mejia said.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Oakley, who previously directed the 2022 drama Blue Jean, has a deft touch with the material and a deep respect for the English countryside setting.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Just before dusk, four or five does walked under the tree, and then a four-point buck followed, stopping beneath me to rub his antlers on a bush.
    — Al Dawson, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Tortoises routinely seek shade under dense bushes, vanish into mangroves, or shelter from the scorching equatorial sun.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In the hinterlands of Patagonia, ranching outposts tend to share a common set of features.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • His solo debut, Heavy Metal, landed softly in the December hinterlands of 2024, and with it a murmuration of these little fibs.
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The 20 countries at greatest risk of a worsening humanitarian crisis, ranked by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) annually in our Emergency Watchlist, represent just 12% of the global population, but 90% of those in humanitarian need.
    — David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Many other countries and even continents would kill to have this level of ingenuity on their shores.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Navigate the biodiverse backwaters of Choctawhatchee Bay or visit Destin, the perfect beach town for kiteboarding and snorkeling.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • No one predicted the sleepy backwater of Sassnitz would be rebranded ‘Crashnitz’ or ‘Smashnitz’ by the end of the first edition of the German Sail Grand Prix last year.
    — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Shilov noted that an emerging problem in the AI ecosystem is that basically anyone doing interesting safety work is likely to be contracted by frontier labs, potentially compromising their work.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The founders intend to keep testing new frontiers, with one tweak to the company’s leadership ranks.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In the sparsely populated Australian outback, help takes time to arrive.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
  • For a uniquely Australian experience, extend your trip inland with a stay at one of the region’s vast outback stations.
    — Stuart Rigg, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Backlands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backlands. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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