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
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 11 July 2025
Herriman is a city 30 minutes southwest of Salt Lake City, adjacent to Riverton.
—Kiki Intarasuwan
july 6, CBS News, 6 July 2025
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Officials did not provide information about what led to the accident in Ottawa, a city about an 85-mile drive southwest from Chicago.
—Mike Stunson
july 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2025
Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 14 July 2025
Little Elm: Located at southwest quadrant of U.S. Highway 30 and Ryan Spiritas Parkway; approximately 148,000 sq. ft.
Stafford: Located at Arc Lane; approximately 124,500 sq. ft.
Utah Target store near me: new locations coming soon
Herriman: Located at 13251 S. Towne Commons Drive; Approx.
—Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 14 July 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
Daughter Katie Frost is Republican chairman of the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Coweta County and other areas southwest of Atlanta.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 11 July 2025
Herriman is a city 30 minutes southwest of Salt Lake City, adjacent to Riverton.
—Kiki Intarasuwan
july 6, CBS News, 6 July 2025
Noun
The seventh full moon of 2025 was one of the lowest-hanging of the year, skimming the southern horizon and setting in the southwest close to sunrise.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Officials did not provide information about what led to the accident in Ottawa, a city about an 85-mile drive southwest from Chicago.
—Mike Stunson
july 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2025
Adjective
The 4th District, which covers southwest Michigan, includes all of Allegan and Van Buren counties along with portions of Berrien, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and Ottawa counties.
—Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 14 July 2025
Little Elm: Located at southwest quadrant of U.S. Highway 30 and Ryan Spiritas Parkway; approximately 148,000 sq. ft.
Stafford: Located at Arc Lane; approximately 124,500 sq. ft.
Utah Target store near me: new locations coming soon
Herriman: Located at 13251 S. Towne Commons Drive; Approx.
—Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 14 July 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 24 Jul. 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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