cover-up
noun
cov·er-up
ˈkə-vər-ˌəp 
1
a
: a device or stratagem for masking or concealing
his garrulousness is a cover-up for insecurity
b
: a usually concerted effort to keep an illegal or unethical act or situation from being made public
2
: a loose outer garment
Examples of cover-up in a Sentence
that contrived burglary was just a cover-up for murder
Recent Examples on the Web
The Church of England has been without a leader since last November when Justin Welby resigned over a child abuse cover-up scandal.
—
Muvija M, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
That would make the pills found in Megan’s system a cover-up by the assailant, and she would have been forced to take them.
—Brian Brant, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
After talking with Claire, Bradley suspects that Cory knows something about UBA’s cover-up of the environmental incident.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 1 Oct. 2025
Culinary pleasures include Ristorante La Pace alla Scarrupata, a casual, wear your best cover-up kind of tavern reachable from the water.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cover-up
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Muvija M, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
That would make the pills found in Megan’s system a cover-up by the assailant, and she would have been forced to take them.
—Brian Brant, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
After talking with Claire, Bradley suspects that Cory knows something about UBA’s cover-up of the environmental incident.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 1 Oct. 2025
Culinary pleasures include Ristorante La Pace alla Scarrupata, a casual, wear your best cover-up kind of tavern reachable from the water.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cover-up
Cite this Entry
“Cover-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cover-up. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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