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
Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2025
In the Sagaing region just southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and some sections of the highway connecting Mandalay and the city of Yangon were also damaged.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025
Stamford is about a 75-mile drive southwest from Hartford.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2025
Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 26 Mar. 2025
The incident occurred overnight Sunday in a southwest Houston neighborhood, on the 3400 block of Barkers Crossing Avenue.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southwest
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Adverb
The tornado touched down at approximately 8:34 a.m., just southwest of Pilot Grove, causing minor damage to a farm’s outbuilding.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2025
In the Sagaing region just southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and some sections of the highway connecting Mandalay and the city of Yangon were also damaged.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Noun
New Berlin is about a 15-mile drive southwest from Milwaukee.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025
Stamford is about a 75-mile drive southwest from Hartford.
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Ars Video The cases now span the counties of Grant, Gray, Haskell, Kiowa, Morton, and Stevens, all in the southwest corner of the state.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 26 Mar. 2025
The incident occurred overnight Sunday in a southwest Houston neighborhood, on the 3400 block of Barkers Crossing Avenue.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southwest
Cite this Entry
“Southwest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southwest. Accessed 12 Apr. 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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