cover for

1. Also, cover up for . Conceal a wrongdoing or wrongdoer, as in Bill was supposed to be on duty but went to a ballgame and Alan agreed to cover for him or I covered up for my friend when her mother called to find out where she was . [1960s] Also see cover up , def. 2.

2. Substitute for someone, act on someone's behalf, as in Mary was asked to cover for Joe while he was on jury duty . [c. 1970]

3. cover for something . Provide protection against some hazard, as in This policy covers the house for fire but not for theft . This idiom employs the verb to cover in the sense of “protect” or “shield,” a usage dating from the 13th century.

Example Sentences

The magazine was created to provide cover for his activities there.

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A slap over extra cover for six was part of some disdainful treatment of Boland, who conceded 62 from his 10 overs.

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Agency refuse workers brought in to cover for Birmingham's long-running bin strike have voted to take industrial action themselves over claims of bullying and harassment.

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You’ll definitely want to get your family’s health insurance figured out before leaving the country, so that you’re covered for the little things like regular checkups and dentist visits as well as unexpected events.

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From her upside-down album cover for “Thank U, Next” to co-directing her more festive side for the “Santa Tell Me” video to incorporating nostalgia into a Grande-Victoria Monét collaboration, “Monopoly.”

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Related Words

• advocate 
• argue 
• assert 
• back 
• champion 
• endorse 
• explain 
• guarantee 
• justify 
• maintain 
• stand by 
• support 
• uphold