southwestward

1 of 2

adverb or adjective

south·​west·​ward sau̇(th)-ˈwes-twərd How to pronounce southwestward (audio)
: toward the southwest
southwestwards adverb

southwestward

2 of 2

noun

Examples of southwestward in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb or adjective
The heat dome will shift southwestward, allowing cooler air and some storminess to traverse the Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on Thursday and Friday. Matthew Cappucci, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Sep. 2023 Byproducts of the raging, 16,000-plus-acre fire had been swept southwestward by winds, reaching at least as far as the San Francisco Bay Area less than 24 hours after the blaze ignited. Michael McGough, sacbee, 1 July 2018
Noun
The weather service’s Storm Prediction Center said western and central Iowa southwestward across far southeast Nebraska, far northwest Missouri into northeast Kansas are at the greatest risk of severe weather. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2024 The storm was traveling west-northwest at around 2 mph, and was expected to move gradually westward or southwestward without much fluctuation in strength throughout the rest of the week. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2023 Ice in the Lincoln Sea has already broken up, and bergs are pouring to the southwestward through the strait. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2018 The infrared satellite loop shows low clouds moving southwestward from the Atlantic. Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Dec. 2022 As cool air from Russia pushes southwestward through Europe, central parts of the continent will see relief from the heat on Saturday and Sunday, while the heat nears its peak over the Iberian Peninsula and southern France. Kasha Patel, Washington Post, 20 May 2022 High wind warnings are in place for this area and southwestward to New Mexico and western Texas. Monica Garrett, CNN, 29 Mar. 2022 The hurricane was moving west near 17 mph and a general westward to west-northwestward motion was forecast through Friday – followed by a general westward to west-southwestward motion. Julia Musto, Fox News, 19 Aug. 2021 Four lengthy dry periods that occurred between 6.25 million and 8.75 million years ago likely drove those creatures to migrate southwestward into Africa, Böhme and her colleagues reported last month in Communications Earth & Environment. Sid Perkins, Science | AAAS, 4 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'southwestward.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb Or Adjective

1548, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1532, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of southwestward was in 1532

Dictionary Entries Near southwestward

Cite this Entry

“Southwestward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southwestward. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

southwestward

adverb or adjective
south·​west·​ward
sau̇(th)-ˈwes-twərd
: toward the southwest
southwestwards
-twərdz
adverb
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