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
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
As of Thursday morning, Kristy was located about 845 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja, California and continues to move west.
—Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024
Kate Murphy, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
The collision occurred at about 8:41 a.m. Saturday when a CSX train, traveling southwest through Indianapolis, came into contact with a pedestrian on the tracks.
—Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Nov. 2024
Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 6 Nov. 2024
The mix of migrants traveling to the southwest border had radically changed, from mostly single Mexican adults in decades past to an increasing number of families and children from Central America starting around 2014.
—Stephen Engelberg, ProPublica, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for southwest 
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Adverb
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said in a news release that the incident happened around 4:30 a.m. when three cars were carried off the road by floodwaters from Beaver Creek, a stream that begins in Douglas County and flows southwest through Taney County.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
As of Thursday morning, Kristy was located about 845 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja, California and continues to move west.
—Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024
Noun
Tribute Pizza This homestyle Thanksgiving dinner includes a roasted turkey breast and gravy, heirloom potatoes, southwest stuffing, a fall salad and more.
—Kate Murphy, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
The collision occurred at about 8:41 a.m. Saturday when a CSX train, traveling southwest through Indianapolis, came into contact with a pedestrian on the tracks.
—Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Nov. 2024
Adjective
The auction house, which is based in Devizes, southwest England, holds two Titanic auctions a year.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 6 Nov. 2024
The mix of migrants traveling to the southwest border had radically changed, from mostly single Mexican adults in decades past to an increasing number of families and children from Central America starting around 2014.
—Stephen Engelberg, ProPublica, 5 Nov. 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 26 Nov. 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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