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
Usa Today Graphics Team, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024
Pecos is about 75 miles southwest of Odessa and 200 miles east of El Paso, with a population of 13,000.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024
Jamie Carter, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2024
Trump's first administration invested $15 billion in border wall construction, buying material with the intent of constructing hundreds of miles of barriers across the southwest border.
—Ayden Runnels, Austin American-Statesman, 28 Dec. 2024
Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 1 Jan. 2025
As the calendar flips to 2025, the southwest suburbs of Milwaukee County are buzzing with fresh entrepreneurial energy.
—Adrienne Davis, Journal Sentinel, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for southwest 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Adverb
South Carolina: Tornadoes, massive flooding hit state In South Carolina, the center of Helene was roughly 30 miles southwest of Clemson around 8 a.m. on Sept. 27.
—Usa Today Graphics Team, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024
Pecos is about 75 miles southwest of Odessa and 200 miles east of El Paso, with a population of 13,000.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
In the third such event of 2025, a glance to the southwest immediately after dark will herald a spectacular view of a very slender, 5%-illuminated waxing crescent moon close to Venus shining at magnitude -4.8.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2024
Trump's first administration invested $15 billion in border wall construction, buying material with the intent of constructing hundreds of miles of barriers across the southwest border.
—Ayden Runnels, Austin American-Statesman, 28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
Fans are expected to able to watch the team's arrival by bus on the north end of the stadium, on the southwest corner of Rural Road and Rio Salado Parkway, near 501 E. Rio Salado Parkway.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 1 Jan. 2025
As the calendar flips to 2025, the southwest suburbs of Milwaukee County are buzzing with fresh entrepreneurial energy.
—Adrienne Davis, Journal Sentinel, 31 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 15 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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