INDEX:
1. towards
2. to go or come towards someone or something
3. to go towards someone because you want to speak to them
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ GO
↑ DIRECTION
↑ NEAR
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1. towards
▷ towards also toward American /təˈwɔːʳd(z)/ [preposition]
moving, looking, or pointing in a particular direction :
▪ If you walk along the river bank towards Skipton you come to a bridge.
▪ She stood with her back toward the window.
▪ Glancing towards me, he started to laugh.
▪ He looked toward the ceiling of his tiny apartment.
▪ The plane banked and turned toward the mountains.
slide/push/throw etc something towards somebody/something
▪ He slid the plate of cookies toward her.
▷ in the direction of something /ɪn ðə də̇ˈrekʃ ə n əv something/ [preposition]
towards a place or object, but not moving, looking, or pointing directly at it :
▪ Tyler strode off in the direction of Foxwood.
▪ People were making a move in the direction of the dining room.
in somebody’s direction
▪ I glanced in her direction and our eyes met.
in the general direction of something
generally towards
▪ He waved a hand in the general direction of the bar. ‘Another drink?’
▷ for /fəʳ, strong fɔːʳ/ [preposition]
set off/make/head for
to start to go towards a particular place, especially in a determined way :
▪ We set off for Boston at daybreak.
▪ When it started to rain we headed for the trees as fast as we could.
▪ It’s getting dark -- we’d better make for home.
▷ bound /baʊnd/ [adjective]
London/Paris/north/east etc bound
towards a particular place or direction - use this especially about planes, trains, cars etc and the direction in which a road, railway track etc is going in :
▪ The London bound train leaves at 22.00 hours.
▪ There have been several delays to southbound rail services.
▪ We were travelling westbound on Interstate 90.
▪ All inward bound flights are being cancelled due to heavy fog.
▷ at /ət, strong æt/ [preposition]
if you look, smile, wave, throw something etc at someone, you look, smile etc in their direction :
▪ The children stared at the eerie old house.
▪ Nick looked back and grinned at her.
▪ I threw the ball at Joe and hit him on the back of the neck.
2. to go or come towards someone or something
▷ go towards also go toward American /ˌgəʊ təˈwɔːʳd(z)/ [verb phrase not in passive]
to go away from where you are towards a particular place :
▪ Go towards the church and take the first turning on your left.
▪ He watched her going toward West End Avenue.
▷ come towards also come toward American /ˌkʌm təˈwɔːʳd(z)/ [verb phrase not in passive]
to come to where you are from a particular direction :
▪ He looked up to see two policemen coming towards him.
▪ As we came toward the house, the door flew open and out came Polly.
▷ head towards also head toward American /ˌhed təˈwɔːd(z)/ [verb phrase not in passive]
to move in the direction of something or someone, especially directly or in a determined way :
▪ The bus was heading towards the Friedrich-Strasse railway station.
▪ They saw the patrol boat turn and head towards them.
▷ make/head for /ˈmeɪk, ˈhed fɔːʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to move quickly towards somewhere, especially so that you can do something when you get there :
▪ As he made for the door he tripped and fell heavily.
▪ We headed for the nearest island to try and repair our boat.
▷ make a beeline for /ˌmeɪk ə ˈbiːlaɪn fɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
to walk directly to a place or person as quickly as possible, especially because there is something you want there or someone you want to talk to :
▪ I made a beeline for the bar and ordered myself a double whisky.
▪ Jeff made a beeline for a table where two pretty Russian girls were sitting.
▷ advance on /ədˈvɑːns ɒnǁ-ˈvæns-/ [transitive phrasal verb] written
to move towards someone or something, especially in order to attack them :
▪ In May 1681 a force of about 2500 troops advanced on Mondovi.
▪ He moved towards her as though he was advancing on a dangerous animal.
▷ approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ [intransitive/transitive verb] written
to come towards a particular person or place :
▪ As they approached the wood, a deer ran out of the trees.
▪ We walked silently, so they would not hear us approach.
3. to go towards someone because you want to speak to them
▷ come up to /ˌkʌm ˈʌp tuː/ [transitive phrasal verb not in passive]
to walk towards someone and stop next to them, especially because you want to say something :
▪ An old guy come up to me in the street and asked for a dime for coffee.
▪ Total strangers used to come up to me and tell me how much they’d enjoyed the show.
▷ approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ [transitive verb]
to walk towards someone you do not know, especially so that you can ask them something :
▪ A tourist approached us and asked us the way to the theatre.
▪ Several people approached Fleming as he left the hall.
▪ She was approached by a waiter.
▷ sidle up /ˌsaɪdl ˈʌp/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to move quietly towards someone, trying not to be noticed, so that they do not realize you are there until you are next to them :
▪ I was sitting in the back row, when Harry sidled up and sat down next to me.
sidle up to
▪ He sidled up to me without a word and slipped a note in my pocket.