coastward

[ kohst-werd ]

adverb

1. Also coastwards. toward the coast:

   We left the sinking ship in lifeboats and rowed coastward.

adjective

1. directed toward the coast:

   a coastward migration.

Word History and Origins

Origin of coastward¹

First recorded in 1850–55; coast + -ward

Example Sentences

A surge in the native rodent population has forced the rats to move coastwards in their search for more food, but many do not survive the trip, according to experts quoted in local media.

From BBC

Driving coastward through Mississippi last month, I hit rain.

From New York Times

Travel coastward, jump two and a half centuries or so, sail into the fog, and you’ll soon make landfall in “The Lighthouse.”

From The New Yorker

Our boats slid easily through the waves, three abreast, a friendly current bearing us coastward.

From Literature

The smoke settled over the west of the city on Friday night, and has drifted coastward over the course of the day.

From The Guardian