switchback

[ swich-bak ]

/ ˈswɪtʃˌbæk /

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noun

a highway, as in a mountainous area, having many hairpin curves.

Railroads. a zigzag track arrangement for climbing a steep grade.

verb (used without object)

(of a road, railroad track, etc.) to progress through a series of hairpin curves; zigzag: The road switchbacks up the mountain.

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Origin of switchback

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; switch + back²

Words nearby switchback

Swiss steak, Swiss tournament, Swissvale, Swit., switch, switchback, switchblade, switchboard, switch box, switch cane, switched-on

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use switchback in a sentence

The only time cutting switchbacks is allowed is when you have been given express permission by a Level 7 Wizard.
Answers to All the Trail Etiquette Questions You’ve Been Too Afraid to Ask|jversteegh|August 5, 2021|Outside Online
Each time I saw more and more people as I huffed up the steep switchbacks to Ice Lake, one of two high-altitude lakes accessed by the trail.
Yes, Hiking Trails Are More Crowded than Ever|Svati Narula|July 25, 2021|Outside Online
Most of the two-lane roads were established decades ago, when cars were smaller and slower, and drop from the rim of the gorge to the river in a series of sharp switchbacks.
The Ultimate New River Gorge National Park Travel Guide|awise|July 19, 2021|Outside Online
Don’t cut the switchbacks, and whenever possible, walk in the middle of the trail, even if it’s muddy, rather than on the edges.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail: A Beginner’s Guide|Karen Berger|June 28, 2021|Outside Online

There are several dirt roads you can exercise your dog on within the park, or simply enjoy the views from the switchbacks of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive and set up a picnic at the top with your pup.
The Most Dog-Friendly National Parks in the U.S.|Emily Pennington|May 7, 2021|Outside Online
It looked something like a switchback railway, only that while the incline varied, all the undulations ran down hill.
The Girl From Keller's|Harold Bindloss
The minutes were uncomfortably long, he felt as if he were on a switchback, or in the throes of approaching sea-sickness.
Dry Fish and Wet|Anthon Bernhard Elias Nilsen
Here we abandon the switchback lane, and, climbing a wall, begin to make our way along the side of the beck.
Yorkshire Painted And Described|Gordon Home
Of all the mountain-climbing I have ever done the switchback up to Doubtful Lake is the worst.
Tenting To-night|Mary Roberts Rinehart
It was necessary to move on up the switchback, that the next horse behind might scramble up.
Tenting To-night|Mary Roberts Rinehart

British Dictionary definitions for switchback

switchback

/ (ˈswɪtʃˌbæk) /

noun

a mountain road, railway, or track which rises and falls sharply many times or a sharp rise and fall on such a road, railway, or track

another word (esp Brit) for big dipper

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012