switchbacks

noun

plural of switchback
as in roads
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 switchbacks 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 Those who reach the top return via the Barr Trail’s switchbacks. — Abigail Bliss, Denver Post, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for switchbacks
  1. roads
  2. highways
  3. streets
  4. roadways
  5. freeways
  6. rows
  7. thoroughfares
  8. turnpikes
Noun
  • Drone footage shared by the city showed houses, vehicles and roads submerged in muddy floodwater.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • There are new protections to make roads safer around schools and school zones.
    — Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of roads
Noun
  • Trains and highways were shut down, and thousands of travelers were stranded at Narita International Airport, which serves Tokyo.
    — NPR Staff, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Our internal highways are made up of intricate webs of nerves, arteries and glands that snake in and out of our organs.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of highways
Noun
  • And when interstates back up, the adjacent surface streets do, too.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The streets in Haitian neighborhoods of New York City have also been noticeably quieter.
    — Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 9 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
  • While school traffic is largely confined to non-freeways, interstate traffic does impact the school commute.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The one-off 200-Ah 72-V battery pack is said to be suitable for spirited performance both in the city and on freeways.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of freeways
Noun
  • For well over a century now, families have sported rows of rictus grins for the camera, but the subgenre of family portraiture (and, later, video clips) dedicated to conception, gestation, and birth is very much a product of the social media age.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Expensive seats, in the lower level about 30-40 rows up at the 12-13-yard line have their view of the other side of the field blocked by a standing platform.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of rows
Noun
  • 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
  • Towns were depopulated or abandoned altogether; farmland was left fallow; forests regrew; busy thoroughfares fell silent and grand villas derelict.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 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

Browse Nearby Words

switchback
switchbacks
switchblade
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Cite this Entry

“Switchbacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switchbacks. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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