cover-up
noun
cov·er-up
ˈkə-vər-ˌəp 
1
a
: a device or stratagem for masking or concealing
his garrulousness is a cover-up for insecurity
b
: a usually concerted effort to keep an illegal or unethical act or situation from being made public
2
: a loose outer garment
Synonyms
Examples of cover-up in a Sentence
that contrived burglary was just a cover-up for murder
Recent Examples on the Web
Hyun-seo’s family, thwarted by a government cover-up, launches their own rescue attempt.
—
H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 13 Jan. 2025
Local authorities in Pucheng have claimed Dang’s death on January 2 was an accident and not criminal, but allegations have swirled on social media that there has been a cover-up.
—Shawn Deng, CNN, 11 Jan. 2025
The Venezuelan electoral authority, however, has not released official ballot tallies, a move that has fueled accusations of a cover-up.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Where American Primeval has at least allowed a sliver of ambiguity when portraying whether or not Young was complicit in the massacre’s cover-up until now, there’s none of that here.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for cover-up 
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.
H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 13 Jan. 2025
Local authorities in Pucheng have claimed Dang’s death on January 2 was an accident and not criminal, but allegations have swirled on social media that there has been a cover-up.
—Shawn Deng, CNN, 11 Jan. 2025
The Venezuelan electoral authority, however, has not released official ballot tallies, a move that has fueled accusations of a cover-up.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Where American Primeval has at least allowed a sliver of ambiguity when portraying whether or not Young was complicit in the massacre’s cover-up until now, there’s none of that here.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for cover-up
Dictionary Entries Near cover-up
Cite this Entry
“Cover-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cover-up. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share