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
Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
The tornado started one mile southwest of Prairie Grove at 12:25 a.m., Oct. 31, and ended at 12:31 a.m., one mile southwest of Walnut Grove.
—Lynn Kutter, arkansasonline.com, 25 Dec. 2024
Nailia Bagirova, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024
Stavanger is Norway’s fourth-biggest city and located on the country’s southwest coast.
—David Nikel, Forbes, 25 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
What To Know Dawn Marie Tillman, 65, was allegedly shot and killed by her husband, Timothy Wayne Tillman, 53, in the town of Terry, which is about 15 miles southwest of the state capital Jackson.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
The tornado started one mile southwest of Prairie Grove at 12:25 a.m., Oct. 31, and ended at 12:31 a.m., one mile southwest of Walnut Grove.
—Lynn Kutter, arkansasonline.com, 25 Dec. 2024
Noun
Aviation security firm Osprey Flight Solutions said in an alert to airlines on Wednesday that footage of the wreckage and the circumstances around the air space in southwest Russia indicated the possibility that the airliner was hit by some form of anti-aircraft fire.
—Nailia Bagirova, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024
Stavanger is Norway’s fourth-biggest city and located on the country’s southwest coast.
—David Nikel, Forbes, 25 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 31 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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