Thesaurus results for SWITCHBACK

switchback

noun

Definition of switchback

as in road

a route that has many sharp turns for climbing a steep hill

Related Words

Relevance

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 The driver from Phoenix walked about 150 feet up to the road after sliding off a switchback near the summit of Imogene Pass. — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 19 June 2026 This two-lane highway runs parallel to the Rio Grande and is filled with mountain views, steep inclines, and dramatic switchbacks. — Gabi De La Rosa, Travel + Leisure, 7 June 2026 There are a handful of switchbacks that help make the climb feel easier. — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 June 2026 Drivers needed a super-thin sole to feel the pedals, a rounded heel to pivot smoothly around sharp European switchbacks, and a tight suede fit. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for switchback

Recent Examples of Synonyms for switchback

Noun

What’s different this time is getting to the Diner, as both Santa Monica Blvd (which the Diner faces) and Sunset Blvd are seeing extended road work – some of it due to a water main that burst on July 16.

— Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Two Boston city councilors are pushing for a change in city law that would require Mayor Michelle Wu to report street projects annually as Wu faces criticism for stalling road work before a city employee was killed by a truck.

— Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 22 July 2026

Definition of road

Noun

Large cracks appeared on major roads, including an elevated highway, and a goods train derailed, according to NHK, while rail ‌services were halted and flights grounded.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
While the advanced driving settings on the highway felt unpredictable and inconsistent, the interior tech on the massive 56-inch Hyperscreen touchscreen was reliably, well, visible.

— Sasha Lekach, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Definition of highway

Noun

Cal Fire officials said night-flying helicopters attacked spot fires overnight while bulldozers cut a fire line along a ridge east of Sand Creek Road after flames crossed the roadway.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026
Shaking from a quake could damage wharves, piers, buildings and roadway above the seawall.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026

Definition of roadway

Noun

The picture will brighten considerably if one of those players, Macario, who wore street clothes, can make it back this season and show the form that earned her the largest contract in NWSL history.

— Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 July 2026
That evening, midnight-shift officers spotted the animal trotting on a residential street in the area and slowly pursued it in a patrol vehicle, some of which was shown in a short video clip the police department posted on social media Friday.

— Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 July 2026

Definition of street

Noun

This new thoroughfare created an easy and direct route to reach the park by car that avoided steep mountain roads, according to park history.

— Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
Authorities partially closed a major thoroughfare in Alexandria on Monday after a hazardous-materials incident left a white, powderlike substance scattered across the road, officials said.

— Liam Bowman, Washington Post, 20 July 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

All northbound traffic on the Dan Ryan was being diverted off the expressway at 67th Street in both the local and express lanes for several hours after the crash.

— Todd Feurer, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Dramatic video shows a loose tire flying across Interstate 76 before slamming into an SUV on the westbound Schuylkill expressway near the Girard avenue exit in Philadelphia.

— Cherise Lynch, NBC news, 31 July 2026

Definition of expressway

Browse Nearby Words

switchable

switchback

switchbacks

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of switchback

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

highfalutin

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes