Definition of switchback
:a zigzag road, trail, or section of railroad tracks for climbing a steep hill
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Recent Examples of switchback from the Web
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A newer route starts in the same place but employs newfangled switchbacks that zigzag up through the trees and spit you out at treeline.
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In the past, Novacek’s crews have removed particularly profane graffiti on guard rail at the switchback.
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Kuhn climbed through switchbacks for nearly an hour in a dreary drizzle.
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Perched on a hilltop, the modern residence employs a switchback design that vaults the dining room ceiling while creating a rooftop terrace above.
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A chaparral-dense switchback trek up Cedar Grove to a forested ridge and rocky outcrop rewarded us with an overlook of the deep canyon.
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The less-than-one-mile trail down the east side of the bluff is a more gradual descent (or ascent), following switchbacks on the bluff with constant views of the river.
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Oeser and the boys hiked for four or five hours, working their way higher via switchbacks to the pass that connected Paradise Valley with the Valley of the Ten Peaks.
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The Curry Ridge Trail gains elevation from the campground, but switchbacks are long and lazy, and the kids had no trouble, save for bouts of thirst on a day pushing 80 degrees.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'switchback.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of switchback
1863
First Known Use of switchback
1903
SWITCHBACK Defined for English Language Learners
switchback
play
noun
Definition of switchback for English Language Learners
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: a road, trail, or section of railroad tracks that has many sharp turns for climbing a steep hill
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