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Definition of covernext
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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

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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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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
The film covers a lot of ground while feeling effortless – personal without being indulgent, cinematic without losing its intimacy. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 May 2026 Insurers have wartime clauses in their contracts that do not require them to cover vessels stuck in the middle of a war. Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
Noun
In the nearly four years since the Georgia Guidestones were blown up under the cover of darkness, little has surfaced about the attack. Thad Moore, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026 When shots were fired, hundreds of attendees ducked under tables or took cover inside the ballroom before being evacuated, and the event was subsequently postponed. Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cover
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cover
Verb
  • Winner may not substitute, assign or transfer Prize or redeem Prize for cash, but Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute Prize (or portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value.
    AJC.com, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
  • According to report last month by Morgan Stanley, there are signs the pill is already expanding the market – that is, customers aren’t just those substituting pens for pills, but many are GLP-1 newcomers.
    Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • In large bowl, toss together peaches, blueberries, sugar and flour until fruit is well coated; set aside.
    Judy Bart Kancigor, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
  • For the spicy tuna, masago clings to thick, buttery pieces of tuna coated in Sriracha, mayonnaise and sesame oil.
    Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • Hough draped a sheer black cover-up over her shoulders and shielded her eyes with a pair of oversized brown sunglasses.
    Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
  • Using magnetic fields, this system enables power transfer to electric ships without physical metal contact, shielding vital components from nature’s corrosive elements.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • There’s a lot to be concerned about.
    Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The king’s visit with a deeply divisive American president, who himself has been compared to a monarch, threatens to further divide Americans concerning the British royals.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The indictment follows a probe by House Republicans into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that scrutinized Morens’ email communications and accused him of intentionally concealing records.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Police found the device concealed in the vehicle’s wheel well before the investigation was turned over to the department’s Detective Bureau, Podgorski said.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Already, Kathy Luther, of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, has put in an application for a brownfield coalition assessment grant and is crossing her fingers.
    Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
  • Because crossing four lanes of onrushing traffic was too risky.
    Lucius Riccio, New York Daily News, 3 May 2026
Verb
  • The Georgia Department of Public Health is monitoring two residents, the agency said in a statement on May 6.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 8 May 2026
  • At least 32 wolves are roaming Colorado after two rounds of releases and last year’s breeding season, which produced at least 14 pups, according to Brenna Cassidy, Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s wolf monitoring data coordinator.
    Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • Even without federal limits on chemicals like PFAS, states have the authority to protect public health and the environment.
    DYLAN JACKSON, ABC News, 6 May 2026
  • Doing so, officials say, helps protect not only those rolling up their sleeves but those who cannot get vaccinated, such as the very youngest children.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cover.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cover. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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