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
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025
Our ride avoided Interstate 15 and instead stuck to a variety of suburban streets over to the Strip and then back to Zoox’s facilities southwest of that casino corridor.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 8 Jan. 2025
Sara Schilling, Sacramento Bee, 14 Jan. 2025
What to Know The one meter high tsunami hit the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture 30 minutes after the initial earthquake, where seismic activity was measured at 5 magnitude, and Kochi Prefecture in the southwest of the country.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
Japan's Nuclear Plants Rattled As Magnitude 6.9 Quake Hits Hyuga-Nada
By Michael D. Carroll
Breaking News Editor
0
Two of Japan's nuclear power plants were rattled on Monday when a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck southwest Japan, prompting a tsunami advisory for parts of the region.
—John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for southwest 
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Adverb
The controversy began in 1967, when the Tennessee Valley Authority initiated construction on a dam on the Little Tennessee River, some 20 miles southwest of Knoxville.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025
Our ride avoided Interstate 15 and instead stuck to a variety of suburban streets over to the Strip and then back to Zoox’s facilities southwest of that casino corridor.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
Murdoch lived in Sherwood, about a 17-mile drive southwest from Portland.
—Sara Schilling, Sacramento Bee, 14 Jan. 2025
What to Know The one meter high tsunami hit the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture 30 minutes after the initial earthquake, where seismic activity was measured at 5 magnitude, and Kochi Prefecture in the southwest of the country.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
The original expansion plan, proposed in December and later tabled, included the construction of new buildings in the northwest section of Slade Park, along with a soccer pitch and four pickleball courts in the southwest area, which would have affected two multipurpose fields.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
Japan's Nuclear Plants Rattled As Magnitude 6.9 Quake Hits Hyuga-Nada
By Michael D. Carroll
Breaking News Editor
0
Two of Japan's nuclear power plants were rattled on Monday when a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck southwest Japan, prompting a tsunami advisory for parts of the region.
—John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
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 20 Jan. 2025.
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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