uncover

verb

un·​cov·​er ən-ˈkə-vər 

uncovered; uncovering; uncovers

transitive verb

1

: to make known : bring to light : disclose, reveal

uncover the truth

2

: to expose to view by removing some covering

3

a

: to take the cover from

b

: to remove the hat from

uncovered his head

4

: to deprive of protection

intransitive verb

1

: to remove a cover or covering

2

: to take off the hat as a token of respect

Synonyms of uncover

• reveal
• discover
• disclose
• tell
• expose

Examples of uncover in a Sentence

Police uncovered a criminal plot.

Archaeologists uncovered the ruins of an ancient city.

Recent Examples on the Web

John Eric Spiby, 80, was sentenced to 16 years in prison in England after an investigation uncovered counterfeit pills worth up to $400 million, Greater Manchester Police said. —Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026

According to city records uncovered in Wright’s lawsuit and reviewed by The Times, Valerio had been marked for euthanasia for dangerous behavior in April 2022, four months before Wright adopted him. —Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026

The team's results have uncovered that its fast-moving molecular outflows are threaded by strong, organized magnetic structures. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026

Daniel Chong directs the tale about a teenage animal lover who uses technology to place her consciousness into a robotic beaver in order to uncover mysteries within the animal world. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for uncover

• discover
• hardcover
• recover
• thereover
• cover
• hover
• plover
• rediscover
• undercover

Kids Definition

uncover

verb

un·​cov·​er ˌən-ˈkəv-ər 

1

: to make known : disclose, reveal

uncover a plot

2

: to expose to view by removing some covering

uncover the ruins of an ancient city

3

a

: to take the cover from

uncover the box

b

: to remove the hat from

c

: to take off one's hat as a sign of respect