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
Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 7 Apr. 2025
But that confidence is rapidly dwindling amid Trump’s tariff threats, policy switchbacks and the looming specter of high inflation in the U.S.
Like many in the industry, Oliver R. Müller, a watch adviser and analyst, sees difficult times ahead.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 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
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.
Noun
In Maine, where native son Stephen King must have convinced some poor trail builder that building switchbacks would haunt them, hikers face hard climbs.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 7 Apr. 2025
But that confidence is rapidly dwindling amid Trump’s tariff threats, policy switchbacks and the looming specter of high inflation in the U.S.
Like many in the industry, Oliver R. Müller, a watch adviser and analyst, sees difficult times ahead.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 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 27 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share