conceal

verb

con·ceal | \ kən-ˈsēl

concealed; concealing; conceals

Definition of conceal

1 : to prevent disclosure or recognition of conceal the truth She could barely conceal her anger.

2 : to place out of sight concealed himself behind the door The defendant is accused of attempting to conceal evidence.

Other Words from conceal Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about conceal

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Other Words from conceal

concealable \ kən-ˈsē-lə-bəl

\ adjective

concealingly \ kən-ˈsē-liŋ-lē

\ adverb

concealment \ kən-ˈsēl-mənt

\ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for conceal

Synonyms

bury, cache, ensconce, hide, secrete

Antonyms

display, exhibit

Choose the Right Synonym for conceal

hide, conceal, screen, secrete, bury mean to withhold or withdraw from sight. hide may or may not suggest intent. hide in the closet a house hidden in the woods conceal usually does imply intent and often specifically implies a refusal to divulge. concealed the weapon screen implies an interposing of something that prevents discovery. a house screened by trees secrete suggests a depositing in a place unknown to others. secreted the amulet inside his shirt bury implies covering up so as to hide completely. buried the treasure

Examples of conceal in a Sentence

The sunglasses conceal her eyes. The controls are concealed behind a panel. The defendant is accused of attempting to conceal evidence. The editorial accused the government of concealing the truth. She could barely conceal her anger.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2017, Texas allowed lottery winners of $1 million or more to conceal their identity. — Dee J. Hall, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin Lottery winners should be identified, open government advocate contends," 6 June 2019 Lookout's post said the developers responsible for the 238 apps went to great lengths to conceal the plugin. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "238 Google Play apps with >440 million installs made phones nearly unusable," 4 June 2019 To me, makeup is a form of self-expression and not something to conceal flaws—loving yourself first is what has shaped my brand! — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "14 Beauty Experts on the Lessons They’ve Learned From Their Mothers," 11 May 2019 Separately, prosecutors filed charges Thursday against former Obama White House counsel Greg Craig, accusing him of lying to the government to conceal his own work on behalf of the government of Ukraine. — Chad Day, The Seattle Times, "Lobbyist gets probation in case spun off from Russia probe," 13 Apr. 2019 So was that all an elaborate story to conceal his undercover work? — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "The True Story Behind Ruth Wilson's New Historical Drama, Mrs Wilson," 1 Apr. 2019 Walden had wiped down the truck with WD-40 to try to conceal his fingerprints, the station said. — Don Sweeney, sacbee, "Identity theft derails when man poses with ‘his’ new pickup truck, police say," 12 July 2018 And those doubts have been reinforced in recent days by intelligence showing that North Korea, far from dismantling its weapons facilities, has been expanding them and taking steps to conceal the efforts. — Gardiner Harris, BostonGlobe.com, "North Korea calls US talks ‘deeply regrettable’," 7 July 2018 After spending months concealing her pregnancy with belly-obscuring peplums and A-line skirts, Cardi opted for a look that accentuated her maternity curves—plunging neckline, bump-hugging waist, and a daring leg reveal. — Rachel Hahn, Vogue, "Cardi B Brought the Red Carpet to the Met Gala," 7 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conceal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for conceal

Middle English concelen, borrowed from Anglo-French conceler, borrowed from Latin concēlāre, from con- con- + cēlāre "to hide, keep secret," probably derivative of an unattested lengthened-grade noun formed from the Indo-European verb base *ḱel- "cover, conceal," whence Latin occulere "to hide from view, keep secret" (from *ob-cel-), Old Irish ceilid "(s/he) hides," Welsh celaf "(I) hide," Germanic *hel-a- "hide" (whence Old English, Old Saxon & Old High German helan "to hide, keep secret")