cover-up

noun

cov·​er-up ˈkə-vər-ˌəp How to pronounce cover-up (audio)
Synonyms of cover-upnext
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.
Then one evening, the production teetered on the brink — an arrest, a cover-up, and a crisis that could have shut the film down entirely. Tony Lee Moral, IndieWire, 27 Apr. 2026 How many state troopers, especially superior officers, visited Quigley in his hospital room as the cover-up began? Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026 In both cases, an ever broadening category of deaths functioned as inexhaustible proof of an expansive government cover-up. Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 22 Apr. 2026 Pair them with a classic tee or pull them on over a swimsuit for an easy cover-up option. Christina Shepherd McGuire, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026 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 28 Apr. 2026.

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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster