Synonyms

conceal

American

[kuhn-seel] / kənˈsil /

verb (used with object)

to hide; withdraw or remove from observation; cover or keep from sight.

He concealed the gun under his coat.
to keep secret; to prevent or avoid disclosing or divulging.

to conceal one's identity by using a false name.

conceal British

/ kənˈsiːl /

verb

to keep from discovery; hide
to keep secret

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See hide ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of conceal

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English conselen, concelen, from Anglo-French conceler from Latin concēlāre, from con- con- + cēlāre “to hide” ( see also hull ¹)

Explanation

When you conceal something, you are keeping it from being discovered: “To avoid another argument with his cousins, Jonathan worked hard to conceal his disappointment at the outcome of the race.” The verb conceal can be used to describe the hiding of feelings (as in “to conceal anger”) or facts (as in “to conceal identity”). Conceal also can be used to describe the act of hiding or covering an item to prevent discovery. If you eat the last piece of chocolate cake, for example, you may want to conceal the evidence by removing the icing-stained plate from your room.

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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.

See Examples For:

conceal conceals concealed concealing

Fraser had deleted texts from his own phone to conceal his relationship with Broadus.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

Cars parked perpendicular to the kerb often conceal footpaths or block them altogether, while vehicles parked directly on pavements are a common sight.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

But for the mom, who goes by “TJ” online to conceal her identity, the reality was more complicated.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

Investigators said the companies allegedly sought to conceal the identity of their Chinese financial backers while establishing "unauthorised" operations or "illegally" recruiting talent.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

There was no trace of emotion upon his face, or of any effort to conceal it.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Taiwan, once widely known as Formosa, conceals a remarkable natural world within its steep and rugged interior.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

The presidency is a skin suit that barely conceals this ambition.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026

This feels like a benefit because it conceals from patients the true cost of their care, while its shortcomings relative to other countries are noticeable only to policy nerds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

Under the floorboards of her closet, Smith conceals “glittering refuse I had scavenged from trash bins, fragments of costume jewelry, rosary beads,” along with a blue toothbrush she’s invested with magical powers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025

I know she’s told some story that conceals what really happened, as I have.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

The Daily Telegraph said it had obtained unredacted plans that showed Beijing planned to construct a "concealed chamber" among 208 "secret rooms" underneath the embassy, which would be close to sensitive underground communications cables.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

Many are deployed on mobile truck-mounted launchers or concealed within hardened underground coastal missile bases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

If the truck and the Walkman were metaphorical beacons, a modest gold, rope necklace and Jeff Kent’s mustache were concealed anchors even when in plain sight.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

Vergara's framed picture of her dog was hidden inside her seat cushion, while Mel B's bracelet was concealed in one of the famous Got Talent red buzzers.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

When every inch of her body was concealed, she nestled down into the ground and became part of the landscape.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

It even mentions tests on concealing a device inside a tape recorder.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

Senate Majority Leader John Thune isn’t concealing his disinterest in what the House is offering, saying that he wants to focus on government funding instead.

From Slate ● Jul. 25, 2026

He embedded a whole apparatus of passages and outbuildings into the descending terrain to the east, concealing them so effectively from view that from the west Monticello has the character of an isolated hilltop temple.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Toughening up the dress made it feel, to me, like armor: concealing more than it showed, feminine but not obviously sexy.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

He was an honest man, and there was nothing that needed concealing from him.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

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