switchback

American  

[swich-bak] / ˈswɪtʃˌbæk /

noun

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

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

3. British. roller coaster.

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verb (used without object)

1. (of a road, railroad track, etc.) to progress through a series of hairpin curves; zigzag.

   The road switchbacks up the mountain.

switchback British  

/ ˈswɪtʃˌbæk /

noun

1. 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

2. another word (esp Brit) for big dipper

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Etymology

Origin of switchback

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; switch + back ²

Example Sentences

The change should help spread the field before it powers into the uphill switchback turn No. 1 that created so many crashes and restarts last year.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 23, 2024

They found that the DNA formed switchback loops as it was pushed into the capsid, an important finding as it is similar to how DNA is organized in eukaryotic cells.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2024

She’d summited Cucamonga Peak, one of Los Angeles’ most popular mountaintops, which rises more than 8,000 feet, when she came upon an icy switchback on her descent.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2023

The early weeks have been a switchback, brilliant against Liverpool and Arsenal, terrible against Brentford and Manchester City.

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2022

We hike up the steep switchback road in silence.

From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko