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
Alex Sundby, CBS News, 4 June 2024
Beginning just after midnight and ending some 12 hours later, the eruption occurred inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, about 2.5 miles southwest of the Kilauea caldera.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 June 2024
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 8 June 2024
Excessive heat warnings or heat advisories in place in much of California and the southwest.
—Carmel Wroth, NPR, 6 June 2024
Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2024
Flyers are filling the mailboxes of residents across Texas House District 97 in southwest Tarrant County, where there’s a heated runoff in the Republican primary.
—Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for southwest 
Adverb
According to the agency, the eruption started around 12:30 a.m. about 2.5 miles southwest of the caldera.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 4 June 2024
Beginning just after midnight and ending some 12 hours later, the eruption occurred inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, about 2.5 miles southwest of the Kilauea caldera.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 June 2024
Noun
Some spots in Miami Beach have been replenished with sand from southwest of Lake Okeechobee at $70 per cubic yard.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 8 June 2024
Excessive heat warnings or heat advisories in place in much of California and the southwest.
—Carmel Wroth, NPR, 6 June 2024
Adjective
Big Bend National Park, Texas Known for its breathtaking vistas and hiking trails, Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas, officially designated in 2012 as an International Dark Sky Park, is a beautiful place to take in the night sky.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2024
Flyers are filling the mailboxes of residents across Texas House District 97 in southwest Tarrant County, where there’s a heated runoff in the Republican primary.
—Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for southwest
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'southwest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near southwest
Cite this Entry
“Southwest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southwest. Accessed 17 Jun. 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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