meta_query
is an array of meta clauses. For example:
$q = new WP_Query( array(
'meta_query' => array(
'relation' => 'AND',
array(
'key' => 'state',
'value' => 'Wisconsin',
),
array(
'key' => 'city',
'compare' => 'EXISTS',
),
),
) );
You can use an associative array, with a key for each meta clause:
$q = new WP_Query( array(
'meta_query' => array(
'relation' => 'AND',
'state_clause' => array(
'key' => 'state',
'value' => 'Wisconsin',
),
'city_clause' => array(
'key' => 'city',
'compare' => 'EXISTS',
),
),
) );
Then, you can use that keys in the order_by
argument, with one:
$q = new WP_Query( array(
'meta_query' => array(
'relation' => 'AND',
'state_clause' => array(
'key' => 'state',
'value' => 'Wisconsin',
),
'city_clause' => array(
'key' => 'city',
'compare' => 'EXISTS',
),
),
'orderby' => 'city_clause', // Results will be ordered by 'city' meta values.
) );
Or more clauses:
$q = new WP_Query( array(
'meta_query' => array(
'relation' => 'AND',
'state_clause' => array(
'key' => 'state',
'value' => 'Wisconsin',
),
'city_clause' => array(
'key' => 'city',
'compare' => 'EXISTS',
),
),
'orderby' => array(
'city_clause' => 'ASC',
'state_clause' => 'DESC',
),
) );
Example taken from this post in Make WordPres Core blog.