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
The Spanish hierarchy had largely dismissed the scale of abuse in their church for decades until a newspaper began documenting a legacy of abuse and cover-up.
—
Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Before dipping their toes in the water, Culpo donned a plunging blue cover-up and a straw hat.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
The airy design gives it an easy, relaxed look that pairs well with denim shorts, linen pants, or a swimsuit cover-up.
—Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
Shaped by the anticlerical violence of the country’s 1936-1939 civil war, the church has dealt more recently with a credibility crisis over revelations of decades of clergy abuse and cover-up.
—ABC News, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for cover-up
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Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Before dipping their toes in the water, Culpo donned a plunging blue cover-up and a straw hat.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026
The airy design gives it an easy, relaxed look that pairs well with denim shorts, linen pants, or a swimsuit cover-up.
—Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026
Shaped by the anticlerical violence of the country’s 1936-1939 civil war, the church has dealt more recently with a credibility crisis over revelations of decades of clergy abuse and cover-up.
—ABC News, 6 June 2026
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 12 Jun. 2026.
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