Synonyms

inbound

American

[in-bound] / ˈɪnˈbaʊnd /

adjective

inward bound.

inbound ships.

inbound British

/ ˈɪnˌbaʊnd /

adjective

coming in; inward bound

an inbound ship

"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 inbound

First recorded in 1890–95; in- ¹ + -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.

See Examples For:

inbound

Hangzhou's airport in nearby Zhejiang province saw 270 inbound and outbound flights cancelled, the report said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026

Great entrepreneurs get an inbound flow of information every minute of the day and deflect the noise.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

The modest rise in June imports was led by computers and computer peripherals, without which inbound shipments would have fallen 1.3% for the month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

On the import side, inbound goods pulled back from the record-high level in April, largely due to a decline in metals and minerals and a drop in gold purchases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

“The ships were all westbound, all inbound for Cuba,” McCone said.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

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