break cover

Idioms

Suddenly emerge from a hiding place, as in The shots distracted our pursuers long enough so that we could break cover and make a run for it. This term originally alluded to animals being hunted, a frequent usage in the 16th century. Now that hunting is a less common pursuit, it is used for human beings.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But a midranking officer ignored part of the order and allowed members of the unit to break cover behind a barricade.

From New York Times • Jan. 29, 2022

Sanchez said he had at least two photographers collecting tips and following Messi and PSG for the first shots of the family when they finally break cover from their hotel.

From Reuters • Sep. 15, 2021

The new car, the SF21, was not revealed at the launch - it will break cover on 10 March, two days before the start of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2021

The new electric Hummer truck will break cover during a Super Bowl ad this coming Sunday, and will be treated to a full reveal on May 20th.

From The Verge • Jan. 30, 2020

I shall never again stand knee-deep in snow through the patient hours waiting for the forest quarry to break cover.

From Recollections With Photogravure Portrait of the Author and a number of Original Letters, of which one by George Meredith and another by Robert Louis Stevenson are reproduced in facsimile by Murray, David Christie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023