Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

northbound

American  
[nawrth-bound] / ˈnɔrθˌbaʊnd /

adjective

  1. going toward the north.

    northbound traffic.
northbound British  
/ ˈnɔːθˌbaʊnd /

adjective

  1. going or leading towards the north

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of northbound

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; north + -bound 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The M50 northbound is closed at the M1/M50 interchange, with the motorway also closed southbound at the same interchange and as far as Junction 4 - Ballymun.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

According to police, the Public Works street-sweeping truck was traveling south on Vista Del Mar on its scheduled route when a northbound SUV collided with it head-on.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Police said they were notified of the missing statue at 20:00 GMT and that the suspects were last seen traveling northbound towards Bromley-by-Bow Underground station.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

Farther to the northwest, both northbound lanes at a truck bypass in Sylmar were flooded.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025

There would be one southbound and one northbound cargo barge the next day both departing the dock at two o'clock.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.