climb

1 of 2

verb

climbed; climbing; climbs

intransitive verb

1
a
: to go upward with gradual or continuous progress : rise, ascend
watching the smoke climb
b
: to increase gradually
prices are continuing to climb
c
: to slope upward
a climbing path
2
a
: to go upward or raise oneself especially by grasping or clutching with the hands
climbed aboard the train
b
of a plant : to ascend in growth (as by twining)
Ivy is climbing up the walls of the old building.
3
: to go about or down usually by grasping or holding with the hands
climb down the ladder
4
: to get into or out of clothing usually with some haste or effort
the firefighters climbed into their clothes

transitive verb

1
: to go upward on or along, to the top of, or over
climb a hill
2
: to draw or pull oneself up, over, or to the top of by using hands and feet
children climbing the tree
3
: to grow up or over
ivy climbing the wall
climbable adjective

climb

2 of 2

noun

1
: a place where climbing is necessary to progress
steep climbs
2
: the act or an instance of climbing : rise, ascent
It's a 20-minute climb to the ridge from here.

Example Sentences

Verb He dreams of climbing Kilimanjaro. It took them six days to climb the mountain. She has climbed seriously for several years now. The actors were climbing down from the stage. He climbed over the fence. The passengers of the sailboat climbed aboard. The pilot climbed into the cockpit. I think she climbed in through the window. He climbed out of the car with a box in his hands. Noun It's a 20-minute climb to the ridge from here. He's planning to attempt one of the most difficult climbs in South America this summer. The book made a rapid climb to the top of the best-seller list. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Cloud cover will steadily increase during the afternoon across the Bay Area, reducing sunshine that could help temperatures climb a few more degrees. Gerry Díaz, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Mar. 2023 That result cost Tottenham a chance to climb provisionally into third place, and made things even tighter in an increasingly intriguing relegation fight that involves no less than nine teams. Mattias Karen, ajc, 18 Mar. 2023 That process takes a whole lot of effort, there's a whole mountain to climb. Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 15 Mar. 2023 The mountain in front of the Magic isn’t impossible to climb. Khobi Price, Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2023 The Oregon State Beavers’ climb up the college baseball polls finally hit a speed bump. Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 13 Mar. 2023 After that fateful 2016–2017 period, decision quality scores began to climb. Emily Willingham, Scientific American, 13 Mar. 2023 The way things are going, Xavier's given itself a mountain to climb to have any chance at getting back into this game. Adam Baum, The Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2023 The duo just have to avoid hungry beasties and climb to the top of a mountain several dozen miles away. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2023
Noun
Mortgage rates fell to the lowest level in nearly a month, ending a five-week climb that has stalled momentum in the U.S. housing market. Gina Heeb, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2023 The view from the top — after a 20-minute climb — is breathtaking, with the golden sun setting on a stretch of red clay roofs, the harbor and the hills in the distance. Helene Stapinski, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Mar. 2023 Its first flight in May 1958 was soon followed by 16 world records, including a zoom climb to 98,557 feet in 1959 and a speed of 1,606 miles per hour in 1961. Popular Mechanics, 14 Mar. 2023 Over the stretch of the weeklong Chinese family holiday period, box office takings soared past $1 billion (RMB 6.8 billion), which marked a climb of 12 per cent from results recorded in 2022. Mathew Scott, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2023 The big is Nathan Mensah, a 6-10 version of Yosemite’s El Capitan, a daring climb for ballhandlers and a rough fall if shot-hoisting fortunes go south. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2023 The Mesa pilot was able to discontinue the landing and initiate a climb out. Jay Blackman, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2023 One of our favorite hikes in the park, the Evergreen Mountain Trail, is a moderate loop with a nice climb and lots of big, shady trees to shield you from the heat. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2023 Folks who aren’t too tired can take on a steep climb to the scenic lookout at Lily Street. Forrest Brown, CNN, 20 Feb. 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Old English climban; probably akin to Old English clifian to adhere — more at cleave

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

circa 1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of climb was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near climb

Cite this Entry

“Climb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climb. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

climb

1 of 2 verb
1
a
: to rise gradually to a higher point
climb from poverty to wealth
b
: to slope upward
the road climbs steeply to the summit
2
a
: to go up or down often with the help of the hands in holding or pulling
b
: to go upward in growing (as by winding around something)
a climbing vine
climbable adjective
climber
-mər
noun

climb

2 of 2 noun
1
: a place where climbing is necessary
2
: the act of climbing

More from Merriam-Webster on climb

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Which Came First?

  • baby chick with a brown egg
  • hot take or cold shoulder?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY