switch·back
ˈswich-ˌbak 
: a zigzag road, trail, or section of railroad tracks for climbing a steep hill
switchback
adjective
switchbacked; switchbacking; switchbacks
: to follow a zigzag course especially for ascent or descent
a trail that switchbacks
Examples of switchback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lauren Matison, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2023
And even the switchback way up still gets you a nice workout.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2024
Salman Masood, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2023
Prepare to be blown away by Sardinia's west coast, where the road swerves around cliffs, wiggles across bridges, and switchbacks through towns and villages spilling down the cliffside.
—Julia Buckley, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for switchback 
Noun
There are steep rocky switchbacks, five-foot-wide paths with jarring drop-offs, and a jaunt through a forest of pinyon pine, Douglas fir, and southwestern white pine.
—Lauren Matison, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2023
And even the switchback way up still gets you a nice workout.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2024
Verb
Cable cars have become relatively regular modes of transport for residents of the mountainous northern region of Pakistan, where journeys along switchback roads climbing steep slopes or descending into deep valleys can take hours to cover just a few miles as the crow flies.
—Salman Masood, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2023
Prepare to be blown away by Sardinia's west coast, where the road swerves around cliffs, wiggles across bridges, and switchbacks through towns and villages spilling down the cliffside.
—Julia Buckley, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for switchback
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'switchback.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Switchback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchback. Accessed 24 Aug. 2024.
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