cover-up

noun

cov·​er-up ˈkə-vər-ˌəp How to pronounce cover-up (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The linen-like material is thick enough to wear traveling or lounging, but the flowy bottoms can also be thrown on over a swimsuit with a button-down and worn as a cover-up on vacation. Melony Forcier, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025 Priscilla Presley is being accused of creating a multimillion-dollar scheme involving fraud, cover-ups and the exploitation of her own daughter’s death. Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2025 Crane and Radley begin digging and find a tangled web of lies, institutional cover-ups, and moral compromise. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025 But last month, the Justice Department and FBI stunned right-wing Epstein truthers with a short memo declaring that there was no evidence of a client list, nor that Epstein was murdered as part of a massive cover-up. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cover-up

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cover-up was in 1927

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cover-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cover-up. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

cover-up

noun
cov·​er-up
ˈkəv-ə-ˌrəp
: a planned effort to conceal a wrongful act or situation

More from Merriam-Webster on cover-up

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