Crossword Genius

Urban areas to the West, North and South (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

towns

'urban areas' is the definition.
(town is a kind of urban area)

'to the west north and south' is the wordplay.
'the west' becomes 'w' ('W' can be a synonym of 'west').
'north' becomes 'n' ('N' can be a synonym of 'north').
'and' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'south' becomes 's' ('S' can be a synonym of 'south').
'to'+'w'+'n'+'s'='TOWNS'

(Other definitions for towns that I've seen before include "Places" , "Settlements" , "Urban areas" , "Municipalities" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
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