Meaning & use
hairpin bends
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“hairpin bends” is a form of “hairpin bend”.
Meaning
nounplural
A very sharp bend in a road that turns back in the opposite direction, like a hairpin.
Grammar: Plural of 'hairpin bend'; use 'hairpin bends' for several, or 'a hairpin bend' for one.
Patterns
- a road with hairpin bends
- drive around hairpin bends
- a series of hairpin bends
The mountain road has many hairpin bends.
We drove slowly around the hairpin bends.
Cyclists find the hairpin bends very difficult.
Word forms
| singular | hairpin bend |
|---|
Common combinations
- a road with hairpin bends
- They took a road with hairpin bends up the mountain.
- negotiate hairpin bends
- The driver negotiated the hairpin bends carefully.
- a series of hairpin bends
- After a series of hairpin bends, we reached the top.
- sharp hairpin bends
- The rally track is famous for its sharp hairpin bends.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hairpin turn
- The usual American term for the same kind of sharp bend.
- switchback
- A road or path that zigzags up a slope; it may include hairpin bends.
Commonly confused: hairpin bends or U-turn?
hairpin bends vs U-turn
A U-turn is a turn you make to go back the other way, often at a junction; a hairpin bend is a permanent sharp curve in the road.
Practice
What is a hairpin bend?
Choose one answer.
A hairpin bend is extremely sharp and doubles back, like a hairpin. A gentle curve or a crossing is not a hairpin bend.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hairpin bends”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.