eastward

1 of 2

adverb or adjective

east·​ward ˈēst-wərd How to pronounce eastward (audio)
: toward the east
eastwards
ˈēst-wərdz How to pronounce eastward (audio)
adverb

eastward

2 of 2

noun

: eastward direction or part
sail to the eastward

Examples of eastward in a Sentence

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.
Adverb or adjective
In this case, that view is westward, into the Valley, or eastward, farther into California, and then into the rest of the country, as the road evolves into Route 66. — Vanessa Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 Sunday, the upper-level ridge will begin weakening and gradually shifting eastward, allowing additional cloud cover to spread into parts of North Texas. — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Noun
As the moon moves eastwards along that low-sloping path, much of its nightly movement is sideways along the horizon rather than steeply down below it. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2026 The Farmers’ Almanac expects an active storm pattern across the southern United States, with above-normal precipitation possible from California and the Southwest eastward through Texas, the Gulf Coast and the Southeast. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for eastward

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb Or Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eastward was before the 12th century

Rhymes for eastward

See All Rhymes for eastward

Browse Nearby Words

East Timorese
eastward
eastwardly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eastward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eastward. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

eastward

1 of 2 adverb or adjective
east·​ward ˈēs-twərd How to pronounce eastward (audio)
: toward the east
eastwardly adverb or adjective
eastwards
-twərdz How to pronounce eastward (audio)
adverb

eastward

2 of 2 noun
: eastward direction or part
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All