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as in to substitute
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only a friend covered for me as a hospital volunteer while my family went on vacation

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as in to shield
to place a protective layer over better cover your skin with sunblock if you don't want a sunburn, not to mention skin cancer

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cover

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noun (1)

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as in lid
a piece placed over an open container to hold in, protect, or conceal its contents where's the cover for the cookie jar?

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as in roof
a raised covering over something for decoration or protection all of the exhibits at the fair are under cover, so the weather won't be a factor

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cover (up)

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verb (2)

cover-up

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noun (2)

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cover
Verb
But most of the network’s funds cover everyday production costs, including salaries for a small newsroom and production for hyperlocal stories: updates on waste-management contracts, interviews with local musicians, searches for lost animals. Oliver Whang, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2025 Another layer of pastry sits atop the mixture and is covered in crystal sugar, which adds a nice sweetness to contrast the tart filling, as well as a delicate crunch in each bite. Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
Long a cult figure best known for cover versions of his songs by the way-different likes of Kenny Rogers and Madness, Labi Siffre has lately undergone a Nick Drake-like moment. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025 Directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and produced by Smuggler, the film is set to a thrash metal cover of Irving Berlin’s Blue Skies. Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
The ruling is a blow for President Donald Trump and his administration, which came to power on a promise of full transparency over the Epstein case, fueled by a fervent belief among the MAGA movement of an establishment cover-up of the truth about the disgraced financier's activities. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025 Meanwhile, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has demanded that the list be released, Democrats are pushing the narrative that the Trump administration is orchestrating a cover-up, and yesterday the House subpoenaed the DOJ for additional files related to the case. Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cover

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Cite this Entry

“Cover.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cover. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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