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
Miami Herald Hurricane Bot, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Melissa was about 250 miles southwest of the Haitian capital late Saturday.
—Kristin Wright, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The accused reportedly targeted 18 establishments across Madrid and Talavera de la Reina, a smaller city southwest of the capital, during August and September.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Northwest, north central, northeast, central, south central, southwest, and west-central Ohio are also facing the dropping temperatures, the NWS said.
—Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southwest
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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
Saturday, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory stating that Tropical Storm Melissa is in the Caribbean Sea, 170 miles southeast of Kingston Jamaica and 235 miles southwest of Port Au Prince Haiti.
—Miami Herald Hurricane Bot, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Melissa was about 250 miles southwest of the Haitian capital late Saturday.
—Kristin Wright, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
The capital of Haiti’s southwest, the coastal city on the country’s southern peninsula, is prone to flooding.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The accused reportedly targeted 18 establishments across Madrid and Talavera de la Reina, a smaller city southwest of the capital, during August and September.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Haiti’s southwest peninsula and all of Jamaica remain under a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Northwest, north central, northeast, central, south central, southwest, and west-central Ohio are also facing the dropping temperatures, the NWS said.
—Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for southwest
Cite this Entry
“Southwest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/southwest. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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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