covers 1 of 2

Definition of coversnext
present tense third-person singular of cover
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as in substitutes
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 shields
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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covers

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noun

plural of cover
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as in lids
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 canopies
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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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 covers
Verb
The lot of the property covers an area of 12,517 square feet. Bay Area Home Report, Mercury News, 30 May 2026 The long hemline covers the lower back for most wearers, sealing out drafts on chilly planes. Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026 The 8th Congressional District covers Greeley and a small chunk of Larimer County and then heads south into Adams County, taking in several suburban communities north of Denver, including Commerce City, Thornton and Northglenn. John Aguilar, Denver Post, 29 May 2026 The fireball expands out and covers the entire launch pad as the fuselage of the rocket can be seen crumbling into the flames. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2026 The film, adapted from a play with the same title, covers the tense, make-or-break forecasting and decision-making that happened in the 72 hours before the first troops set foot on Normandy’s beaches. Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 29 May 2026 Check back for updates Ryan Anderson covers higher education across the state. Ryan Anderson, Arkansas Online, 29 May 2026 Gabriel and Saliba complement each other brilliantly; while one scraps, blocks and clears, the other sweeps, covers and builds with the ball. Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 29 May 2026 Irene Wright covers politics in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Irene Wright, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Noun
Portraying the couple at their best were not paparazzi, fans, or photographers hired for red carpets and covers, but cooks, waiters, and caterers. Alessia Amorosini, Vanity Fair, 4 June 2026 The area deemed dangerous covers about three miles and includes some of the most popular beaches in the park. Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026 The seats are fitted with removable cushions with machine-washable covers for easy maintenance. Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026 Alongside original songs and covers, the new season also revamps (no pun intended) the visual language of the series to embrace the music video chaos of life on tour with Lestat. Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 3 June 2026 With the exception of the American Ballet Theatre star Misty Copeland—that company’s first Black female principal dancer, who announced her retirement last year—dancers are not on the covers of magazines, or being interviewed by celebrity journalists. Marina Harss, New Yorker, 3 June 2026 The magazine’s glossy covers became collectible cultural moments. Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 2 June 2026 In the '80s, Richards was among a handful of very successful male models that included John Pearson and Fabio Lanzoni, the Italian-American model who became a fixture on the covers of romance novels. Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026 This month, despite the spring of it all, my favorite covers were strange and dark, their meanings obscure. Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covers
Verb
  • No program substitutes for that.
    Desmon Yancy, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
  • But no technology substitutes for the human infrastructure, partnerships, and political will that made the old system work.
    Stephanie Psaki, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026
Verb
  • On the palate, the whiskey delivers a medium-to-full-bodied texture with a pleasantly oily mouthfeel that coats the tongue without feeling heavy.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
  • Return the egg mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and coats a spatula (about 170 degrees Fahrenheit).
    Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 26 May 2026
Verb
  • High-shine and hydrating, Supergoop’s Glow Gloss Lip Balm shields the lips under a nonsticky, sheer gloss finish, available in Vanilla Soft Serve, Pink Peppermint, Strawberry Spritz and now Caramel Glaze.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 23 May 2026
  • This movement generates Earth’s magnetic field, which shields our planet from harmful cosmic radiation.
    Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 22 May 2026
Verb
  • Spielberg’s latest, like some of his earliest and most beloved films, again concerns what might fall from above.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 June 2026
  • The closest analog to what Blue Origin is attempting to do, therefore, concerns the rebuild of Space Launch Complex-40, which was largely destroyed by the AMOS-6 failure.
    Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • This sleepy surface conceals the racial and religious tensions between locals and the transient workers who cross the border for employment.
    Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2026
  • In Vidal’s telling, the trashy sensationalism of Hearst’s proto-clickbait conceals a tremendous political power.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
Verb
  • Maps show the 900 block is five lanes wide and traverses a heavily commercial strip in north Washington, including multiple motels, stores and restaurants.
    Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026
  • The full route connects Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area over a 51-hour journey, but many travelers do a portion that connects Denver with San Francisco on a route that traverses the Rockies.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • The maritime authority that monitors shipping in the region, the UKMTO, had earlier said a vessel had been struck in the Persian Gulf, about 40 nautical miles southeast of the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr.
    Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
  • The series wasn’t directly based on a Rice book but centered on her in-universe secret society that monitors supernatural beings and whose representatives (like Justin Kirk’s Raglan James) have shown up in IWTV and The Mayfair Witches.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • Structure protects relationships by establishing expectations before they are needed.
    Sharon Olson, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • Reaching out to a reputable debt relief professional while the account is still in collections, rather than in court, gives you more time to find a resolution that protects your income.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 1 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Covers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covers. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.

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