Here's a breakdown:
* As a compound adjective: If "east west" modifies a noun, it's hyphenated.
* Example: "She had an east-west view of the city."
* As separate words: If "east" and "west" are used independently, they are not hyphenated.
* Example: "She looked both east and west."
Let me know if you have a specific sentence in mind, and I can help determine if a hyphen is needed!