climber

noun

climb·​er ˈklī-mər How to pronounce climber (audio)
plural climbers
Synonyms of climbernext
1
a
: a person or animal that climbs
a tree climber
a bicyclist who's an excellent climber
a mountain climber
We also teach how to handle a rope and how to belay another climber to protect them if they fall.—Lou Whittaker
see also rock climber
b
: a climbing plant
ivy and other climbers
Owing to their size and abundance, climbing plants, especially the large woody climbers or lianes, are one of the most impressive features of the Tropical Rain forest.—P. W. Richards
2
: social climber

Examples of climber in a Sentence

Chimpanzees are excellent climbers and spend a lot of their lives in trees. climbers like clematis and ivy
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
A couple of hours after dark, a climber descending past the Stüdlgrat saw lights on the ridge and heard voices. — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 One member of the woman's climbing party helped carry rescue equipment, as did a fourth climber who stopped to assist. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 1 July 2026 Police identified the climbers as Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov. — Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 1 July 2026 Regardless, Higgins, who runs a security firm, said unauthorized climbs pose immediate safety risks to both the climbers and people below if someone falls. — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for climber

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of climber was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing climber

Rhymes for climber

See All Rhymes for climber

Browse Nearby Words

climb down
climber
climbing bindweed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Climber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climber. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on climber

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for climber

Nglish: Translation of climber for Spanish Speakers

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