spiderweb

noun

spi·​der·​web ˈspī-dər-ˌweb How to pronounce spiderweb (audio)
1
: the network of silken thread spun by most spiders and used as a resting place and as a trap for small prey
2
: something that resembles or suggests a spiderweb

Examples of spiderweb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With Israel then isolated and exposed, Iran will be able to liberate al-Quds as the Jewish state collapses like a spiderweb, to use Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah’s preferred analogy. Seth Cropsey, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024 Goldfuss said a building once stood where CNN accessed the tunnel through a huge crater and other shafts spread like a spiderweb through the neighborhood. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024 The spiderweb of lanes demarcate grants by Lord Fairfax, whose family was given a vast tract of what is now Virginia by the British crown. Jayne Orenstein, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024 Last year’s highlights included Jessica Chastain’s crystal spiderweb dress from Oscar de la Renta, Rihanna in a voluminous Schiaparelli, Hillary Swank’s Prada maternity look, and Emma D'Arcy’s suiting from Acne Studios. Vogue, 7 Jan. 2024 During a moment of optimism, the city invited the famous Swiss architect Le Corbusier to design a master plan that envisioned a sprawling spiderweb of modern highways to replace the city’s trams and regional railroads. Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2023 Amy Brenneman delivered one of the finest performances of the year, playing a Yale creative writing professor facing a terminal cancer diagnosis in this two-hander by Adam Rapp that spun a spiderweb around the creative act. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2023 Angelo dressed up as a spider alongside the family dog, while mom served as the spiderweb and LaValle was the fly. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023 Mae had a cute spiderweb makeup design under her eye in the photo. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 1 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spiderweb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spiderweb was circa 1649

Dictionary Entries Near spiderweb

Cite this Entry

“Spiderweb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiderweb. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spiderweb

noun
spi·​der·​web ˈspīd-ər-ˌweb How to pronounce spiderweb (audio)
: the silken web spun by most spiders and used as a resting place and a trap for small prey

More from Merriam-Webster on spiderweb

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