cover-up

noun

cov·​er-up ˈkə-vər-ˌəp How to pronounce cover-up (audio)
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

Examples of cover-up in a Sentence

that contrived burglary was just a cover-up for murder
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.
Democrats were quick to decry the move, painting it as a cover-up for corruption. Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 25 Jan. 2025 President Donald Trump issued full and unconditional pardons Wednesday to two Washington, D.C., police officers who were convicted for their roles in a deadly chase of a young man on a moped in 2020 and subsequent cover-up, a case that led to protests in the nation’s capital. Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 24 Jan. 2025 The Duke of Sussex got his apology and many millions, but Murdoch’s NGN avoided a messy weeks-long trial that many suggested could have led to the exposure of a wider privacy cover-up at The Sun owner. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025 None of these allegations have been proven, but that didn't stop people on the internet from speculating about another government cover-up even after Trump signed his order, as BBC's Shayan Sardarizadeh pointed out. John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for cover-up 

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cover-up was in 1927

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 28 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

cover-up

noun
cov·​er-up
ˈkəv-ə-ˌrəp
: a planned effort to conceal a wrongful act or situation

More from Merriam-Webster on cover-up

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