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
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
The cause of the accident, which took place about 30 miles southwest of Tesla’s Nevada Gigafactory, which builds the Semi, hasn’t yet been determined, LaRose said.
—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 July 2026
In 2025, the Elk and Lee fires and historic flooding in the state’s conservative-leaning southwest caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.
—
Kelly Fleming,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
4 July 2026
Other states with extreme heat warnings included Tennessee, Indiana and Kentucky, with extreme heat watches issued for southern California and southwest Arizona.
—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
4 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for southwest
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adverb
Mountain Time in the Black Hills, traffic is already at a standstill on Highway 244, two miles southwest of Mount Rushmore, near Keystone, and two hours before doors open for ticketholders.
—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
3 July 2026
The cause of the accident, which took place about 30 miles southwest of Tesla’s Nevada Gigafactory, which builds the Semi, hasn’t yet been determined, LaRose said.
—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Noun
Set the scene The picturesque historical town is about 45 minutes north of Ithaca and an hour southwest of Syracuse.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 July 2026
In 2025, the Elk and Lee fires and historic flooding in the state’s conservative-leaning southwest caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.
—
Kelly Fleming,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Adjective
Pre-evacuation orders are also active for southwest Gunnison County, along Coal Creek and the Cimarron Ridge.
—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
4 July 2026
Other states with extreme heat warnings included Tennessee, Indiana and Kentucky, with extreme heat watches issued for southern California and southwest Arizona.
—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
4 July 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 6 Jul. 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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