north-northwest

noun

north-north·​west ˈnȯrth-ˌnȯr(th)-ˈwest How to pronounce north-northwest (audio)
: a compass point that is two points west of due north : N22°30′W

Examples of north-northwest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The earthquake struck at a depth of just 2 miles, with its epicenter roughly 4 miles north-northwest of The Geysers. Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 1 Sep. 2025 With maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, the hurricane is moving north-northwest at 13 mph. Miami Herald Hurricane Bot, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2025 Tropical Storm Dexter was about 275 miles north-northwest of Bermuda on Monday afternoon and moving toward the northeast away from land, forecasters said. David Schutz, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2025 Erick once had Category 4 strength The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Erick was centered about 155 kilometers (95 miles) north-northwest of Acapulco Thursday night. Luis Alberto Cruz, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025 The hurricane’s center was located about 60 miles north-northwest of Punta Maldonado around midday. Luis Alberto Cruz, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025 When given the sky, but still deprived of magnetic information, the moths overwhelmingly flew in the correct, migratory direction according to the season: north-northwest in fall, southwards in spring. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 18 June 2025 On February 13, 2025, a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck near Avenal, approximately six miles north-northwest of the city. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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

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Cite this Entry

“North-northwest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/north-northwest. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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