cover for
Idioms-
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.
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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]
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A long bull market breeds complacency, helping to provide cover for incompetence or fraud.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
Such an event would mark a profound change in a region that has maintained extensive seasonal ice cover for millennia.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
The cover for his debut solo studio album, “Indigo,” depicts Hyong-keun’s 1972 painting “Blue,” and the album’s lead track, “Yun,” a collaboration with Erykah Badu, kicks off with recorded dialogue from the artist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
But perhaps he has some fixed expenses that you could cover for a set period of time so the parameters of the gift are set.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
He’d missed his shift entirely, and her sister, Molly, had to cover for him in the box office.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
