cobwebs

British

/ ˈkɒbˌwɛbz /

plural noun

mustiness, confusion, or obscurity
informal stickiness of the eyelids experienced upon first awakening

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"And when we added the methyl groups back to the genes, they turned off again. So, these compounds aren't cobwebs -- they're anchors."

From Science Daily • Jan. 5, 2026

For now, though, investors should prepare to shake off the cobwebs over tech stocks, according to Newton.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 24, 2025

She plans to sweep away the cobwebs and inject warmth and life into a farm mired in portentous dialogue and unmentionable secrets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

The collection had been tucked under a pile of old newspapers and cobwebs in the attic of their family home, according to a press release from Heritage Auctions.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025

This had cobwebs on it, too, strung in and out of the steering-wheel spokes, and over the metal hubs.

From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023