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
Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 2025
The switchback was revealed at the company’s upfront presentation in Manhattan.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 14 May 2025
Corey Buhay, Outside Online, 1 Apr. 2025
In the middle of the Redwall switchbacks her skin went purple and her arms went limp.
—Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for switchback
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Noun
Expect to get your burn on early, with the heart-pumping Walter’s Wiggles, a series of 21 switchbacks that drop you at Scout Overlook, where the Angels Landing ascent begins.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 2025
The switchback was revealed at the company’s upfront presentation in Manhattan.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 14 May 2025
Verb
Start at the peak’s eponymous trailhead and switchback straight up to the iconic summit.
—Corey Buhay, Outside Online, 1 Apr. 2025
In the middle of the Redwall switchbacks her skin went purple and her arms went limp.
—Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for switchback
Cite this Entry
“Switchback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchback. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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