covert action
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of covert action
First recorded in 1975–80
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.
Whether the attack was one carried out by traditional military assets or through some other means, such as a destructive cyber operation or a covert action led by the Central Intelligence Agency, is also uncertain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 29, 2025
The form of this response, be it a direct military strike, cyberwarfare, or a covert action has not been publicly revealed.
From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2024
The FBI is charged with combating foreign influence operations that include covert action seeking to impact political sentiment or public discourse.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 25, 2023
The contours of digital conflict are slowly emerging from the shadows, as digitally upgraded intelligence operations at the edge of war: espionage, sabotage, covert action and counterintelligence, full of deception and disinformation.
From New York Times ● Mar. 18, 2022
It also resorted to covert action when it thought this was justified—and during the Cold War, justification was easy to find.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
