switchback

noun

Definition of switchbacknext
as in road
a route that has many sharp turns for climbing a steep hill

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of switchback On uneven terrain, loose scree, muddy switchbacks, and stream crossings, reliable traction can make all the difference. — Gentry Hale, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026 Parking is rough in July and August, one lot at the top of Monte Conero and a switchback road that backs up fast on weekends. — Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Then a girl called out to them from up the road, coming down the switchback through the forest. — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 Cloud cover limited the helicopter to a lower drop point near 50/50 Flat, above the switchbacks, forcing rescuers to climb on foot to reach the injured woman. — James Ward, USA Today, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for switchback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for switchback
  1. road
  2. highway
  3. roadway
  4. street
  5. freeway
  6. thoroughfare
  7. turnpike
  8. expressway
Noun
  • And neither Atlanta Public Schools nor Atlanta fire had answers for why buses and a firetruck were not told the road was blocked.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026
  • And the road toward whatever the final destination is starts now.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of road
Noun
  • It’s been used to raise funds for Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, a Minnesota woman caught using a racist slur on camera and to support Canadian truckers who blocked highways in protest of Covid restrictions.
    — David K. Li, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026
  • This section of the two-lane road has been carved directly into the red-quartzite cliffs of the Uncompahgre Gorge, and almost none of it has a shoulder; in some places, the highway is only twenty-three feet wide.
    — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of highway
Noun
  • Parts of the Black Horse Pike are underwater in multiple places, resulting in the closure of the roadway.
    — Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The impact caused the Civic to strike construction barriers on the roadway.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of roadway
Noun
  • Watch Peter Rosenberg criticize Ye’s actions at the street renaming for the rapper’s mother below.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2026
  • In Doral, businesses reported a 70% drop in sales due to empty streets because of immigration raids.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of street
Noun
  • Vehicles drive on the 405 freeway (overpass) past a US flag displayed outside of the Marathon Petroleum Corp.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Suburbs stretch their undulating freeways into the grid, sucking out nutrients (and cutting through neighborhoods).
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of freeway
Noun
  • The massive project funded from 13 federal, state and local agencies, gives a glimpse of what’s to come for Long Beach thoroughfares.
    — Barbara Kingsley-Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Comella paid his fare at Canal Street — the driver would go no farther — and walked south on west Broadway, a thoroughfare of million-dollar lofts, to a point three blocks from the Trade Center.
    — Peter Wilkinson, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of thoroughfare
Noun
  • Multiple fans told the Miami Herald that Google Maps and Waze continued routing them toward closed roads/turnpike exits or the apps would fail to even generate a route to Miami Stadium.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 28 June 2026
  • Rubbernecking delays were also an issue on the other side of the turnpike, where a second crash happened nearby.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 25 June 2026
Definition of turnpike
Noun
  • Bikes are not allowed to on freeways or expressways, and cyclists cannot pass through tolls unless the signs nearby dictate otherwise.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The driver is also alleged to have made a U-turn from a through lane after exiting the expressway, according to the affidavit.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of expressway

Browse Nearby Words

switchable
switchback
switchbacks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Switchback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switchback. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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