Northwest Passage

American  

noun

1. a ship route along the Arctic coast of Canada and Alaska, joining the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

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Northwest Passage British  

noun

1. the passage by sea from the Atlantic to the Pacific along the N coast of America: attempted for over 300 years by Europeans seeking a short route to the Far East, before being successfully navigated by Amundsen (1903–06)

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Northwest Passage Cultural  

1. A sea route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through northwestern America, often sought by early explorers. There is an actual Northwest Passage, but it requires sailing through far northern waters that are icebound much of the year.

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Etymology

Origin of Northwest Passage

First recorded in 1545–55

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Northwest Passage

The proponents say that if built, this would provide the first land link between the Northwest Passage and the North American highway system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

As temperatures rise, multiyear ice in the northern Arctic is released southward, where it creates chokepoints in the Northwest Passage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025

Yet, only six commercial cargo vessels completed the full Northwest Passage this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025

Grays Bay is approximately in the centre of the so-called Northwest Passage, the Arctic sea route north of the Canadian mainland.

From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2025

The discovery of the Northwest Passage after centuries of searches was truly a historic achievement.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

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