switchback

noun

Definition of switchbacknext
as in road
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 switchback On uneven terrain, loose scree, muddy switchbacks, and stream crossings, reliable traction can make all the difference. — Gentry Hale, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026 Parking is rough in July and August, one lot at the top of Monte Conero and a switchback road that backs up fast on weekends. — Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Then a girl called out to them from up the road, coming down the switchback through the forest. — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 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 See All Example Sentences for switchback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for switchback
  1. road
  2. highway
  3. roadway
  4. street
  5. freeway
  6. thoroughfare
  7. turnpike
  8. expressway
Noun
  • The greatest concern is high tide through Sunday morning and swells from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel could create dangerous conditions with beach erosion and seawater once again flooding beach roads and paths.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The former Cup champion finished third, overcoming a speeding-on-pit-road penalty and other drama en route to that result.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of road
Noun
  • The fences are required so that access is limited along the highway.
    — Lynn Kutter, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • If a semi can travel hundreds of highway miles without a person in the cab, what happens to the person who used to sit there?
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of highway
Noun
  • Low-lying roadways are likely to be flooded, requiring barricades.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026
  • In addition, significant ponding of water on low-lying beach roadways could make driving difficult.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of roadway
Noun
  • Investors are closely watching the government's next moves in a highly indebted country where street anger has often been tamed with more state spending.
    — Makini Brice, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Within one of those havens, Ellora, lives Pavi, a 10-year-old street kid with no memory of anything beyond the past three years.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of street
Noun
  • The difference between one driver successfully passing another on the freeway is sometimes just a matter of a few inches.
    — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Director Christopher Nolan uses the premise to stage spectacular sequences where cars reverse down freeways at high speed, cause and effect goes topsy-turvy, and fights are just, well, weird.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of freeway
Noun
  • Rancho Cordova was awarded more than $3 million in grants from a local agency for two road improvement projects on major city thoroughfares.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The crash occurred along the Hawan Kibo-Jos route, a major thoroughfare connecting Plateau to Abuja, the capital.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 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
  • The crash happened before dawn near the viaduct that carries the expressway (I-90/94) over Division Street.
    — Kris Habermehl, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Bikes are not allowed to on freeways or expressways, and cyclists cannot pass through tolls unless the signs nearby dictate otherwise.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of expressway

Browse Nearby Words

switchable
switchback
switchbacks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Switchback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/switchback. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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