undercover

1 of 2

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

2 of 2

noun

: a person engaged in undercover activity : spy

Examples of undercover 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
Senate Bill 627, for example, would prohibit law enforcement agents from covering their faces to obscure their identity, carving out exceptions for SWAT teams and undercover officers. Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2025 The undercover detectives made their ages known. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
Masks were once largely forbidden on the federal level unless an agent was working undercover, said Michael Bouchard, a former assistant director at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives who retired in 2007. Byron Tau, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025 Law enforcement officers working in plain clothes or undercover is nothing new. Dana Taylor, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for undercover

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 undercover was in 1920

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Undercover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undercover. Accessed 10 Sep. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on undercover

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!