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backwater

[bak-waw-ter, -wot-er] / ˈbækˌwɔ tər, -ˌwɒt ər /


ADJECTIVE
back country
Synonyms




Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sausalito has since transformed from hippie backwater to high-end suburb, but the club maintains an air of salty informality.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

When I visited Xingguo, it remained an economic backwater.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Western adventurers have been turning up in Bali since the early 20th Century, when it was seen as an exotic backwater, home to Hindu temples and rice fields.

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2025

It had about three houses, and right in the middle there was a sign over a building saying “Casino,” and it had a slot machine in, so it was a real American backwater.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2025

But that area, too, remained a cultural backwater occupied by hunter-gatherers for most of its history.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond




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