west-northwest

noun

west-north·​west
: a compass point that is two points north of due west : N67°30′W

Examples of west-northwest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Look to the west-northwest sky in the evening to early night to see the spiral Andromeda Galaxy, the closest major galaxy to the Milky Way. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2024 Midday breezes from the west-northwest could occasionally gust around 15 mph. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2023 In Little Rock, a tornado rated EF3 by the National Weather Service, with winds reaching 165 miles per hour, touched down about two miles west-northwest of the intersection of Interstate 430 and Interstate 630 about 2:22 p.m. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2023 Through tonight: Clear and slowly calming, with west-northwest breezes down toward 5 mph near dawn. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2023 As of Saturday evening, Lee was moving west-northwest ‒ roughly in the direction of the United States ‒ at 10 mph as a Category 3 hurricane. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023 Breezes could be around 15 mph at times, out of the west-northwest. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023 The hurricane center said Norma, once a Category 4 hurricane, made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 80 mph near el Pozo de Cota, west-northwest of Cabo San Lucas. CBS News, 21 Oct. 2023 The storm has managed to move (erratically) farther west-northwest toward the islands. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'west-northwest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of west-northwest was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near west-northwest

Cite this Entry

“West-northwest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/west-northwest. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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