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as in to substitute
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only a friend covered for me as a hospital volunteer while my family went on vacation

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as in to shield
to place a protective layer over better cover your skin with sunblock if you don't want a sunburn, not to mention skin cancer

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cover

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noun

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as in lid
a piece placed over an open container to hold in, protect, or conceal its contents where's the cover for the cookie jar?

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as in roof
a raised covering over something for decoration or protection all of the exhibits at the fair are under cover, so the weather won't be a factor

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cover
Verb
But Huascar Brazobán failed to cover first base, allowing another run to score. Will Sammon, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 Don’t promise more than your resources can cover. Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
These days, the top teams rarely want a pure destroyer; the number 6 has to provide defensive cover, but also make key passes, manipulate space and keep things moving like a metronome. Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025 The second solution for how to present a record (or at least a turntable0 on a book cover this month; also text-forward, but in an entirely different way. Emily Temple september 30, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cover
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cover
Verb
  • Ways To Use Kabocha Squash Just about any type of winter squash can be substituted for kabocha.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Junior quarterback Leo Stalsberg — substituting for senior starter Cedric Tomes, who’s out with a broken finger — completed 2 of 10 pass attempts for 25 yards.
    Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In this recipe, country music star Lainey Wilson draws on her Louisiana roots, rolling the regional sausage into balls before coating them in breadcrumbs and frying until crispy on the outside, but still tender inside.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Oil the entire pan Once the pan is clean, use a kitchen or paper towel to coat it with a thin layer of oil (emphasis on thin).
    Julie Harans, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Infiniti was deep into production on One Battle when Presumed Innocent premiered, so she was shielded from the bulk of the attention and intrigue that came her way.
    Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Remember, tents do not shield you from lightning.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Her attorneys said Ozturk, a Turkish national, spent six weeks in detention for writing an op-ed in her student newspaper the year before that criticized the university’s rejection of student government resolutions concerning Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
  • More concerning still is what the expiration of AGOA portends for the future, the academic believes.
    Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The family travelled north from Central America for weeks, crossing rivers by night and riding concealed in smugglers’ trucks.
    Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Gardner orchestrates the scene; placing the girl in the center, then asking her, or perhaps even demonstrating, how to wrap the blanket around her body so her hands are concealed.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Coffee and conversation Rhode Island is a state drivers can cross in an hour.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
  • The line, to be clear, was crossed time and time again.
    Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Park superintendents could decide if previously scheduled special events and activities authorized by special use permits could go on, if no NPS personnel are needed for monitoring them.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
  • For instance, portable cold atom systems could provide navigation without GPS, detect underground structures, monitor climate change with unprecedented detail, and even enable space missions to test gravity and search for new particles.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • They’re designed for indoor and outdoor wear thanks to a durable outsole and warm shearling lining that protects against chilly temperatures.
    Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
  • They are designed to protect homes and businesses against the type of winter storms that have severely flooded the low-lying community of Alviso multiple times with water up to 6 feet deep and which are posing more risk as sea level rises due to climate change.
    Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cover.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cover. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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