undercover

2 of 3

noun

as in spy
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country 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

Synonyms & Similar Words

undercover

3 of 3

adverb

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 undercover
Noun
An undercover human trafficking sting operation ended with the arrest of 14 people in the Chattanooga area. Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Aug. 2025 Genesis Rodriguez, who plays season two’s lioness — elite operatives sent on undercover missions — flew the bird herself. Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2025
Adverb
Meanwhile, the police send in state trooper Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) undercover to infiltrate Costello’s crime organization. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025 Michael Fassbender stars as Martian, a CIA spy who’s recalled to London after years of living deep undercover in Ethiopia. Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for undercover
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undercover
Adjective
  • The Bundy family’s statement noted this and said their destination was not clandestine, as the FBI document alleged.
    Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The result was the Commandos, who operated in clandestine raids behind the lines to harass the enemy with remarkable success.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Woman of the Hour In her directorial debut, Anna Kendrick stars as aspiring actress Sheryl Bradshaw, who unknowingly crosses paths with a covert serial killer (Daniel Zovatto) while appearing on The Dating Game.
    Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • That provision allows a president to take covert actions as long as Congress is informed.
    Emily Goodin, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The duo plays Emily and Matt, a married pair of ex-CIA spies forced out of retirement and back into the world of espionage after their secret identities are revealed.
    Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Cianfrance supplies a real jerk of a manager in Peter Dinklage’s Mitch, on whom Jeffrey spies by setting up baby monitors in the back office.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • Rather than focusing on bans that drive these relationships underground, companies should focus on transparency.
    Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • The city spends about $15 million a year moving power lines underground.
    Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song And the internet has receipts.
    Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, 15 Mar. 2017
Adjective
  • Choosing who carries the card out can be rooted in superstition, some secret joke or, simply, the closest player to the dugout steps.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The secret weapon is flower pollen, according to their study recently published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The report also detailed how its AI capabilities were being misused by North Korean operatives who used it to obtain remote jobs at tech companies.
    Steve Weisman, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • In September 2024, Israel blew up the group’s pagers, causing gruesome injuries as the devices detonated in Hezbollah operatives’ pockets.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • By the episode's end, however, he's set his sights on Morgan, having surreptitiously slipped a note into her grocery bag.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Inevitably, a few students were surreptitiously checking smuggled screens that day.
    Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Undercover.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undercover. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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