backwater

noun

back·​wa·​ter ˈbak-ˌwȯ-tər How to pronounce backwater (audio)
-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 That legislation, which went into effect in 2018, transformed data regulation, once seen as a legal backwater, into a prominent area, and elevated many women working in it into the spotlight. Stephanie Bodoni, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024 In 1923, avid fisherman Will Dilg learned of a plan to drain the Mississippi River's backwater sloughs near Lansing, Iowa, to turn into farmland. Journal Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2024 Widespread property damage occurs, with devastating backwater flooding also occurring along Ohio River tributaries. The Enquirer, 1 Feb. 2024 Half of these kids most likely wanted to blow this backwater and travel to Papeete on Tahiti, the teeming capital of French Polynesia. Peter Heller, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2024 In 2007, the league was a sleepy soccer backwater with few teams, fewer fans and players who weren’t necessarily household names in their own households. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024 More water is running through the river in general, eroding islands and degrading conditions for fish who reside in its backwaters. Journal Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2024 There are a few great waterfront seafood restaurants to hit in these fascinating Florida backwaters, too, including Waterfront Social, with a tiki bar on Kings Bay, and West 82 Bar & Grill for great grouper tacos and fish sandwiches. Terry Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Feb. 2024 As recently as a few decades ago, journals were a tiny, impoverished publishing backwater. Shella Keilholz, STAT, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backwater.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of backwater was in 1629

Dictionary Entries Near backwater

Cite this Entry

“Backwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backwater. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

backwater

noun
back·​wa·​ter ˈbak-ˌwȯt-ər How to pronounce backwater (audio)
-ˌwät-
1
: water held or turned back from its course
2
: a backward place or condition
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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