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

Synonyms of cover-up

• veil
• cloak
• shroud
• wraps
• blanket

Examples of cover-up in a Sentence

that contrived burglary was just a cover-up for murder

Recent Examples on the Web

Ultimately, the biggest privacy judgment in American history stands as a measure of the cover-up, not the alleged crime. — Emma L. Briant, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026

Henderson remembers her disappointment in former President Richard Nixon, whose presidency ended in 1974 amid the Watergate scandal and political cover-up. — Julianna Bendeck, Sun Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026

In the shadows of the Catholic church, nuns and women have long endured abuse at the hands of priests — insidious and tactful grooming, silenced by confession, and hidden through systemic cover-ups. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026

The Vatican typically allows criminal investigations to play out before initiating canonical trials so as not to interfere, and that is especially so now in Australia, after the church's wretched legacy there of abuse and cover-up. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for cover-up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup

Kids Definition

cover-up

noun

cov·​er-up

ˈkəv-ə-ˌrəp

: a planned effort to conceal a wrongful act or situation