1
a
: the general direction between south and west
b
: the point midway between the south and west compass points
2
Southwest
: 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
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
Larry Wright owns 52 acres southwest of the site.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
Simone Jasper
may 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2026
Storm chances increase again on Sunday and continue into next week as upper-level ridging shifts east and a more unsettled southwest flow develops.
—Nelly Carreño, CBS News, 27 May 2026
Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2026
So community members organized a meeting with Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, whose district includes Davis and southwest Yolo County, and Congressman Mike Thompson, who represents part of Yolo County.
—Sacbee.com, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for southwest
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adverb
The epicenter was roughly 2 miles southwest of Tahoe Vista, at a depth of 3 miles.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
Larry Wright owns 52 acres southwest of the site.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
Noun
The site is in Bryson City, a roughly 65-mile drive southwest from Asheville.
—Simone Jasper
may 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2026
Storm chances increase again on Sunday and continue into next week as upper-level ridging shifts east and a more unsettled southwest flow develops.
—Nelly Carreño, CBS News, 27 May 2026
Adjective
Visit its namesake town in southwest Switzerland to dig into the cheese-making tradition.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2026
So community members organized a meeting with Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs, whose district includes Davis and southwest Yolo County, and Congressman Mike Thompson, who represents part of Yolo County.
—Sacbee.com, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for southwest
Cite this Entry
“Southwest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southwest. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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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