as in roads
a route that has many sharp turns for climbing a steep hill
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Recent Examples of switchbacks
Descend its famously crooked path, flanked by cascading hydrangeas and storybook Edwardian homes—then watch cars zigzag through eight tight switchbacks while tourists crowd the sidewalks, snapping photos of its surreal descent.
—
Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
On straight paths, tracking is solid, but switchbacks and dense forests increase the risk of losing sight of the subject—or clipping a tree.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
Before teeing it up, we were required to sign a waiver to play the unconventional 18-hole short course, a nod to its cliff-hugging switchbacks and a maze of showy cart path water crossings.
—T.j. Olwig, Travel + Leisure, 26 Dec. 2025
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
Tour on Two Wheels Bikers can catch a thrill nearby, where almost 40 miles of switchbacks on the Upper Buffalo Mountain Bike Trail trace their way through the highest points in the Ozarks.
—Katie Strasberg Rousso, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
The trail ascends to its high point on long switchbacks that ease the climb and maximize scenic views.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 4 Oct. 2024
Near the Tennessee state line, crews were finally starting to reach side roads after clearing the main roads winding through switchbacks, but that brought a new set of challenges.
—Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2024
Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
On straight paths, tracking is solid, but switchbacks and dense forests increase the risk of losing sight of the subject—or clipping a tree.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
Before teeing it up, we were required to sign a waiver to play the unconventional 18-hole short course, a nod to its cliff-hugging switchbacks and a maze of showy cart path water crossings.
—T.j. Olwig, Travel + Leisure, 26 Dec. 2025
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
Tour on Two Wheels Bikers can catch a thrill nearby, where almost 40 miles of switchbacks on the Upper Buffalo Mountain Bike Trail trace their way through the highest points in the Ozarks.
—Katie Strasberg Rousso, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
The trail ascends to its high point on long switchbacks that ease the climb and maximize scenic views.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 4 Oct. 2024
Near the Tennessee state line, crews were finally starting to reach side roads after clearing the main roads winding through switchbacks, but that brought a new set of challenges.
—Jeff Amy, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for switchbacks
Noun
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Very cold air already in place will allow snow to accumulate quickly across the region, sticking to roads, bridges and untreated surfaces with little melting.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Some North Texas roads may still be hazardous into Thursday morning’s commute, even after ice melting Wednesday, officials with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Most highways close to Baltimore were down to bare pavement Monday, but some Western Maryland roadways were still covered in snow.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Traveling by car along the highways that succeeded Route 66 still presents a deadly hazard — much more dangerous than need be.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Earlier Saturday in Minneapolis, a federal immigration officer shot and killed a man, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigid streets and ratcheting up tensions in a city already shaken by another fatal shooting weeks earlier.—
Valerie Gonzalez,
Twin Cities,
25 Jan. 2026
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More than one thousand city workers are preparing to work around the clock to clear city streets once the snow starts to fall.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Several crashes have been reported across North Texas Wednesday morning, as roadways remain icy and hazardous following a winter storm that swept through the region this past weekend.—
Briauna Brown,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Life is starting to get back to normal in the Memphis area after a winter storm dumped several inches of sleet and snow across the Mid-South, closing schools and businesses and icing over roadways.—
Jack Armstrong,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The water flows along the Santa Ana River where the district has a series of lakes at the 91 and 55 freeways that are perculation basins.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Thirty-two years ago, freeways fell, buildings flattened and local communities were reshaped forever by the earthquake.—
Jamie Yuccas,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The moment Amber Glenn stepped onto the ice at figure skating’s world championships, fans began to wave American flags, from the lowest rows inside TD Garden to the highest rafters, where the jerseys of Boston’s sporting greats hang in honor.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
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Materials of all kinds, including handwritten and typewritten pages and microfilm, are kept in neat rows of archival boxes, some stacked six shelves high.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Since then, TxDOT has continually sent fleets of trucks to plow main thoroughfares like Central Expressway in Richardson on Monday night and Highway 287 in Decatur earlier in the day.—
J.D. Miles,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Most Costcos are on major thoroughfares.—
Terri Daxon,
Oc Register,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Most of the construction happening right now is occurring on the highways, turnpikes, and interstates that get most residents through their daily commute.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Switchbacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switchbacks. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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