1
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
an undercover operation to infiltrate the terrorist organization
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in underground
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of undercover
Greg Hanlon, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
One of its investigators had spent weeks undercover working and traveling with ShowMe Tigers, watching the animals being forced to perform tricks, said Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States, in a statement Sunday.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
Time, 13 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, the police send in state trooper Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) undercover to infiltrate Costello’s crime organization.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for undercover
Noun
Equal parts high-stakes thriller and intimate family portrait, Inside the Cartel offers an unprecedented look at the sacrifices of going undercover.
—Greg Hanlon, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
One of its investigators had spent weeks undercover working and traveling with ShowMe Tigers, watching the animals being forced to perform tricks, said Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States, in a statement Sunday.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
Adverb
He is aided by Yasir Abbas, a weapons specialist; Raghuveer Singh, a sniper who served in Kashmir and Tawang; Uday Bhan, an explosives expert; and Sukhbir Singh, an Indian agent undercover in Pakistan posing as a Karachi stockbroker.
—Time, 13 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, the police send in state trooper Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) undercover to infiltrate Costello’s crime organization.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for undercover
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undercover
Adjective
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There is a First World War U-boat that somehow glides from underneath Lake Michigan all the way to Croatia, commandeered by its captain, post-Armistice, for new and clandestine uses.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
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Co-created by The New York Times bestselling author Carr and season 1 creator and showrunner David DiGilio, Dark Wolf follows Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch) on his journey from the SEALs to the clandestine side of CIA special operations.—
Susan Young,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Hays arranged a covert meeting with Fitzwater in the courthouse annex.—
Mitch Moxley,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
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In the 1980s, The War on Drugs was in full swing, and the FBI was willing to try risky covert techniques to break up the cartels.—
Greg Hanlon,
PEOPLE,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Though Curry got the stats in the box score, the Buckeyes’ coverage, including a spy — usually Arvell Reese — deserves just as much credit for limiting Washington’s offense.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Lisbeth Salander is part Western hero, part expert hacker, part international spy and part Pippi Longstocking.—
Anders de la Motte,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
After Perfidia’s arrest, every member of the French 75 is killed or pushed underground.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
24 Sep. 2025
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Drawing from real events, Macri’s co-production follows Carlita, the first woman miner in a town where superstition barred female presence underground.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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
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These include satellites apparently so secret that the US government refused to identify the agency that owns them.—
Benj Edwards,
ArsTechnica,
25 Sep. 2025
-
As Chad becomes a success, Holliday may be the key to reviving the dying football team, all while maintaining his secret identity.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Republican operatives at the time warned that outsourcing the ground game to outside groups could pose risks for future cycles, but Kirk and his team described the results as vindication.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Sep. 2025
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The operative used New Jersey’s gubernatorial race as an example of a state where energy costs are one of the top issues, noting GOP nominee Jack Ciatarelli’s talking point that the state has driven up those costs.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
24 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Is he humiliated by being asked to leave surreptitiously for Olivia’s amusement, or is this a game for him too?—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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In many cases, fans were able to see that the tickets were surreptitiously forwarded to unrecognized accounts, presumably so they could be sold on third-party sites.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Undercover.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undercover. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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