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
But the defense suggested that an assortment of other people were involved in O'Keefe's death and a cover-up.
—
Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
Survivors in workplaces, politics and entertainment chose to speak publicly, often under their own names, about serial abuse and institutional cover-ups.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Directed by Mark Obenhaus and Laura Poitras, the film showcases highlights of Hersh’s career writing for the Associated Press, the New York Times, and The New Yorker, focusing on the stories that exposed government cover-ups from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 19 Dec. 2025
Some of them went further, alleging that there has been a cover-up.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cover-up
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Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
Survivors in workplaces, politics and entertainment chose to speak publicly, often under their own names, about serial abuse and institutional cover-ups.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Directed by Mark Obenhaus and Laura Poitras, the film showcases highlights of Hersh’s career writing for the Associated Press, the New York Times, and The New Yorker, focusing on the stories that exposed government cover-ups from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 19 Dec. 2025
Some of them went further, alleging that there has been a cover-up.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 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 27 Dec. 2025.
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