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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 backwater
The Israeli strike was a course correction for US foreign policy that has elevated Doha from a backwater to a global mediation center, Lee Smith writes in the conservative, pro-Israel Tablet Magazine.
—
Hadley Gamble, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
And has done so with the kind of diffidence that can only come from a lifetime in the sports backwaters.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2025
There are endless shallow backwaters along the river to explore and there’s plenty of big water out there, too (Lake Winnieshek, for example, is almost two miles wide in places).
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for backwater
Hadley Gamble, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
And has done so with the kind of diffidence that can only come from a lifetime in the sports backwaters.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2025
There are endless shallow backwaters along the river to explore and there’s plenty of big water out there, too (Lake Winnieshek, for example, is almost two miles wide in places).
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for backwater
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backwater
Noun
-
Virginia‘s countryside is dotted with traditional farmhouses and manors, but one in the foothills of the Southwest Mountains has been given a contemporary twist by a New York architect.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The Monster of Florence is a name coined by Mario Spezi, a former crime reporter for Italy's La Nazione, for a serial killer that terrorized the countryside outside Florence, Italy, between 1968 and 1985.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In August, the leading AI lab released two open-weight language models called gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b, designed to serve as lower-cost and accessible alternatives to its frontier models.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The four-day event, a summit that closes Thursday, is aimed at unlocking new frontiers of growth.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Better check behind every bush and tree, because this movie will convince you every sleepy suburb is a slaughterhouse in the making.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Bush Cucumbers Vining cucumbers are generally too large to easily shield from frost, but bush-type cucumbers can be covered with a large cloche or cardboard box if cold weather is in the forecast.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Given the Frenchman’s frightening form — already up to 18 goals for club and country this season — expect to see Mbappe looking to test the millimetric precision of the Barcelona high line once again.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Regional countries have begun to act against the crime flourishing inside Cambodia’s borders that has ensnared their citizens.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
While locations like a solar panel farm in the Australian outback fit the bill for near-future ground war, the result mostly feels sterile, amounting to a bunch of empty pathways bathed in stark daylight.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Oct. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Backwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backwater. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share