cover story

American  

noun

1. a magazine article highlighted by an illustration on the cover.

2. a fabricated story used to conceal a true purpose; alibi.

   No one believed the cover story released to the press.

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cover story Idioms  

1. A featured story in a magazine that concerns the illustration on the cover, as in The earthquake is this week's cover story for all the news magazines . [Mid-1900s]

2. A false story intended to mislead or deceive; also, an alibi. For example, Their cover story while investigating local repair services was that they had just bought the house and were having problems, or The suspect gave the police some cover story about being held up . [Mid-1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of cover story

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

It was a good cover story because, of course, she knew all the symptoms rather well.

From Literature

He later told her that identity was a cover story and in fact he was working for the intelligence services.

From BBC

Magazine, he has written cover stories on subjects including "Saturday Night Live" and Martin Scorsese.

From The Wall Street Journal

I know: I wrote a lengthy cover story on beef and ranching in this week’s Barron’s.

From Barron's

In her “Vanity Fair” cover story last year, Charli told writer Anna Peele that she turned down a Brat Tour documentary, despite her label pressuring her to make one.

From Salon

Related Words

• alibi
• apology
• justification
• pretext
• rationalization
• substitute
• trick