under cover

1 of 3

phrase

1
: in an envelope or wrapper
2
: under concealment : in secret

undercover

2 of 3

adjective

un·​der·​cov·​er ˌən-dər-ˈkə-vər How to pronounce undercover (audio)
: acting or executed in secret
specifically : employed or engaged in spying or secret investigation
an undercover agent
undercover adverb

undercover

3 of 3

noun

: a person engaged in undercover activity : spy

Examples of under cover in a Sentence

Adjective an undercover operation to infiltrate the terrorist organization for months she's been an undercover agent pretending to be a drug dealer Noun within the city was a well-organized fifth column, and these undercovers would make themselves known as soon as the invading forces breached the city limits
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.
Adjective
The following list of darkly gripping movies include undercover police operations, addictive assassin dramas, and perilous hijacking odysseys based on true stories. Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025 According to court documents, an undercover officer spotted a transaction in the mall parking lot from about 10 feet away. Abby Dodge, CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
Noun
Four other agents accompanied me, all also operating undercover. Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025 Season 2 of the hit Paramount+ series will continue following Martian (Michael Fassbender), a CIA agent living undercover in his own life. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for under cover

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1920, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of under cover was in 1920

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Under cover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/under%20cover. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

undercover

adjective
un·​der·​cov·​er
-ˌkəv-ər
: acting or performed in secret
an undercover scheme
especially : employed or engaged in spying or secret investigation
an undercover agent
undercover adverb
Last Updated: - Definition revised
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