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

For a beach vacation, ditch the cover-up and wear this airy shirt with breezy shorts over a swimsuit instead. —Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026

As with most of the pieces on this list, the white maxi skirt is so versatile and can be paired with a bikini for an easy cover-up. —Caitlin Palumbo, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026

With Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho out, further claims of a cover-up emerged. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2026

That requirement stemmed from Nixon's attempt to destroy the White House tapes that incriminated him in the cover-up of the Watergate burglary. —Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 8 Apr. 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