1
a
: the general direction between south and west
b
: the point midway between the south and west compass points
2
capitalized
: regions or countries lying to the southwest of a specified or implied point of orientation
especially
: the southwestern part of the U.S.
1
: coming from the southwest
a southwest wind
2
: situated toward or at the southwest
the southwest corner
Examples of southwest in a Sentence
Adverb
It's about 80 miles southwest of here.
Noun
A mountain range is in the southwest of the country.
These plants grow in the Southwest.
Adjective
the southwest corner of the building
Recent Examples on the Web
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar are condemning Israel’s deployment into Golan Heights, a plateau about 40 miles southwest of Damascus.
—Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
South southwest wind around 9 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
—Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Dec. 2024
Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024
Click here to listen] Rex and Skip discuss key industries across the state, from the steel boom in the northeast and the lithium business in the southwest portion of the state as well as the $500 million timber processing project in southeast Arkansas.
—Rex Nelson, arkansasonline.com, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for southwest 
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Adverb
The dig, which began in early October, took place on a site around five miles southwest of present-day Aigio—a town on the Peloponnese peninsula, the Greek Ministry of Culture announced in a statement.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar are condemning Israel’s deployment into Golan Heights, a plateau about 40 miles southwest of Damascus.
—Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
Oryol Oblast borders the regions of Kursk to the southwest, Bryansk to the northwest, and Tula to the east.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
South southwest wind around 9 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
—Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
In northwest and southwest North Dakota, including Williams, McKenzie, Dunn, Stark, Divide, and surrounding counties, mixed precipitation is expected, with ice accumulations of up to two-tenths of an inch and up to 1 inch of snow.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024
Click here to listen] Rex and Skip discuss key industries across the state, from the steel boom in the northeast and the lithium business in the southwest portion of the state as well as the $500 million timber processing project in southeast Arkansas.
—Rex Nelson, arkansasonline.com, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for southwest
Dictionary Entries Near southwest
Cite this Entry
“Southwest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southwest. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
southwest
1 of 3 adverb
south·west
sau̇th-ˈwest 
nautical sau̇-ˈwest
: to or toward the southwest
southwest
2 of 3 noun1
: the direction between south and west
2
capitalized
: regions or countries southwest of a point that is mentioned or understood
southwest
3 of 3 adjective1
: coming from the southwest
a southwest wind
2
: situated toward or at the southwest
the southwest corner
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