Thesaurus results for SWITCHBACKS

switchbacks

noun

plural of switchback

as in roads

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

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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 switchbacks Near the half-mile point, hikers are met with a handful of switchbacks that guide them up the mountain. — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 On uneven terrain, loose scree, muddy switchbacks, and stream crossings, reliable traction can make all the difference. — Gentry Hale, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 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 From there, the itinerary continues toward Trollstigen, one of Norway’s most famous mountain roads, known for its steep switchbacks and waterfalls. — Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Waymos are designed to take the fastest route, and eight switchbacks with tourists driving down in awe of San Francisco at 5mph will never be that. — Rakesh Agrawal, PC Magazine, 28 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 The climb winds through cedar forest and switchbacks into remote Berber villages where the architecture grows out of the rock and days are timed to the sheep and the seasons. — Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 23 May 2026 Hundreds of people trudged up the steep switchbacks in single file. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for switchbacks

Noun

Police urged residents to stay off the roads while cleanup and recovery efforts continue.

— Ross DiMattei, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
That becomes particularly dangerous in cities, where roads, parking lots and buildings prevent rain from soaking into the ground.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of roads

Noun

Social media put the storm’s effects on display, with videos of floodwaters leaving cars stranded on highways, stormwater runoff erupting onto city streets and waterfalls cascading onto the subway tracks at Penn Station.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2026
Abdeen drove across the highways of newly independent countries.

— Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of highways

Noun

Among the changes needed on the city’s streets was the welding of more than 200 manhole covers to ensure the race cars don’t suck them up off the road.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
The city feels theatrical and alive, with open-air theaters, cinemas, and a vibrant arts scene that spills into its streets.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of streets

Noun

If approved, the legislation would extend exemptions to class cars built between 1976 and 1985 that are used primarily for exhibition purposes and have limited use on public roadways.

— Darrielle Fair, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Critics like Carlock have noted that the space can feel disjointed for pedestrians, as roadways and cars still have the urban authority.

— Ashley Gardini, JSTOR Daily, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of roadways

Noun

Born to Mary Florence Webb, a nurse, and John Sherman Heilmann, a civil engineer, Heilmann split her childhood between the Bay Area and, after her father took a job building freeways, Los Angeles, by way of El Segundo, a seaside village nearby.

— Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Even the buildings themselves — a trio of vast, anonymous boxes tucked into the crook of two freeways — were plagued with problems.

— Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of freeways

Noun

The councilmember acknowledged the overhaul of Hopkins Street was a monumental decision, one that would reshape transportation on one of the major thoroughfares connecting East and West Berkeley.

— Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
For example, in the San Fernando Valley, a person could leave the car at home when in walking proximity to bus lines on major thoroughfares, such as Line 165 on Vanowen Street that connects Burbank to West Hills.

— Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of thoroughfares

Noun

As transportation networks expanded—first with canals and turnpikes, and later with railroads—rural isolation began to fade.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 21 May 2026
Both turnpikes are currently classified as state highways, said Darian Butler, OTA engineering director.

— Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice, 4 Feb. 2026

Definition of turnpikes

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switchback

switchbacks

switchblade

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“Switchbacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switchbacks. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of switchbacks

noun

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