backwater
noun
back·wa·ter
ˈbak-ˌwȯ-tər 
-ˌwä-
1
a
: water backed up in its course by an obstruction, an opposing current, or the tide
b
: a body of water (such as an inlet or tributary) that is out of the main current of a larger body
2
a
: an isolated or backward place or condition
b
: an unpopular or unimportant field (as of study or business)
Examples of backwater in a Sentence
The once sleepy backwater is now a thriving city.
a distant backwater that didn't even have electricity at that time
Recent Examples on the Web
Why are the Ukrainians risking lives and resources on a comparatively meaningless action in a sector that’s a relative backwater, when critical Ukrainian strongpoints in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast are under relentless Russian assault?
—
David Axe, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Thoughtfully constructed in 2002 to honor the natural environment, the Murphy River Walk traces the banks of the Hiwassee and Valley Rivers, where the two rivers converge to create the backwaters of Lake Hiwassee.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 6 Dec. 2024
Just as Peter’s moving of his court transformed Moscow into a backwater for out-of-favor nobles, Carson’s helped to usher out the era when the Big Apple could claim to have cultural parity with Hollywood.
—Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2024
The serene backwater adjacent to the mounds is connected to the Mississippi River's main channel by Johnson Slough.
—Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for backwater
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David Axe, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Thoughtfully constructed in 2002 to honor the natural environment, the Murphy River Walk traces the banks of the Hiwassee and Valley Rivers, where the two rivers converge to create the backwaters of Lake Hiwassee.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 6 Dec. 2024
Just as Peter’s moving of his court transformed Moscow into a backwater for out-of-favor nobles, Carson’s helped to usher out the era when the Big Apple could claim to have cultural parity with Hollywood.
—Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2024
The serene backwater adjacent to the mounds is connected to the Mississippi River's main channel by Johnson Slough.
—Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for backwater
Cite this Entry
“Backwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backwater. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backwater
noun
back·wa·ter
ˈbak-ˌwȯt-ər
-ˌwät-
1
: water held or turned back from its course
2
: a backward place or condition
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