as in road
a route that has many sharp turns for climbing a steep hill
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Recent Examples of switchback
The lawyers said others pursuing the Grand Teton Fastest Known Time also cut out switchbacks using the Old Climber’s Trail.
—
Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 12 Nov. 2025
Within half a mile, my longtime friend Danny Sadleir and I were pushing our bikes up the rocky switchbacks leading away from the trail’s northern terminus at the Utah border to make our way south up Buckskin Mountain toward the Kaibab Plateau.
—Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 20 Oct. 2025
In June, it was announced that the festival’s colorful founder, Jean-Pierre Blanc, would step down amid a saga that unspooled with as many twists and turns as the switchback road leading up to the villa.
—Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
After paying a three-euro (about $3) gate fee at the park’s entrance, visitors then face another 10-minute ride further into the pine and gorse-clad hills along a switchback road that reaches about 1,000 meters above sea level.
—Barry Neild, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for switchback
Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 12 Nov. 2025
Within half a mile, my longtime friend Danny Sadleir and I were pushing our bikes up the rocky switchbacks leading away from the trail’s northern terminus at the Utah border to make our way south up Buckskin Mountain toward the Kaibab Plateau.
—Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 20 Oct. 2025
In June, it was announced that the festival’s colorful founder, Jean-Pierre Blanc, would step down amid a saga that unspooled with as many twists and turns as the switchback road leading up to the villa.
—Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
After paying a three-euro (about $3) gate fee at the park’s entrance, visitors then face another 10-minute ride further into the pine and gorse-clad hills along a switchback road that reaches about 1,000 meters above sea level.
—Barry Neild, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for switchback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for switchback
Noun
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The report comes as record numbers of drivers have hit the roads during peak holiday periods (about 73 million for Thanksgiving last year alone) and as road trips continue to rate among the most popular ways to travel.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Jan. 2026
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The road to the Governor’s Office continues to run through San Jose, as Mayor Matt Mahan — who is seriously considering his own bid — hosted yet another candidate while pressing Sacramento leaders to take a more aggressive approach to California’s homelessness crisis.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The city will use brine to keep snow and ice from building on roads and highways.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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The truck rolled down the level highway, and sleep spread over him like a large warm palm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Some point to ongoing problems, such as objects being placed in roadways, including large boulders.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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The clip shows Good behind the wheel of her SUV, which is parked perpendicular to the roadway, as the person taking the video circles the vehicle.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The unrest entered its 12th day with general strikes spreading across major commercial centers and street clashes intensifying, particularly in western Iran.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Similarly, drivers who routinely leave their vehicles on busy streets overnight are naturally more likely to have their cars damaged or stolen.—
Ethan M. Stone,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Officers issued a SigAlert for all eastbound lanes of the freeway between Crenshaw Boulevard and Arlington Avenue as their investigation continued.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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In Arizona, our driving laws are influenced by factors like busy freeways in metro Phoenix, monsoon season flooding, outdated transportation modes and distracted driving laws.—
Shelby Slade,
AZCentral.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Most Costcos are on major thoroughfares.—
Terri Daxon,
Oc Register,
22 Jan. 2026
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Here's the latest on construction along Les Paul Parkway, a major thoroughfare in Waukesha.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In addition to the turnpike that runs near the stadium, I-95, I-595 and surrounding surface streets including Northwest 199th Street and 27th Avenue will be congested with game day fans heading to the stadium as early as three hours before kickoff.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
31 Dec. 2025
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One person died and another was injured Tuesday evening when a fire sparked in southern Westminster, near the Denver-Boulder turnpike, fire officials said.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Joshua was a passenger in a Lexus Jeep that smashed into a stationary truck while traveling along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Makun, according to local news outlets The Punch, The Daily Sun and The Guardian.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
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The three left lanes of the expressway were all blocked.—
Kris Habermehl,
CBS News,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Switchback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switchback. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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