southbound

American

[south-bound] / ˈsaʊθˌbaʊnd /

adjective

traveling southward.
pertaining to southward travel.

southbound British

/ ˈsaʊθˌbaʊnd /

adjective

going or leading towards the south

"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 southbound

First recorded in 1880–85; south + -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.

The capybaras’ stretch of the Pinheiros River is a former no-man’s land; geographically, it’s in the center of the city, and yet isolated, sandwiched between an expressway’s northbound and southbound lanes.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

The California Highway Patrol closed all northbound lanes at West Channel Street around 10:50 p.m. and all southbound lanes around 3:30 a.m. at West Harry Bridges Boulevard, CHP Officer Mike Nasir said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

The M18/N18 southbound is closed at Junction 14 - Barefield at the R458 slip.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

The M50 northbound is closed at the M1/M50 interchange, with the motorway also closed southbound at the same interchange and as far as Junction 4 - Ballymun.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Me and Mong both whipped our heads around, watched the southbound on-ramp fade into the distance.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

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