cover story

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cover story¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Idioms and Phrases

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]

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]

Example Sentences

Reckzeh had been set up as a spy and agent provocateur by the Gestapo: Thadden had been fooled by his elaborately constructed cover story.

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It was a fine cover story, and Abel really was interested in painting.

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Speaking quickly and in a hushed tone, Mr Hussain fired questions at our reporter about his cover story - the mini-mart and the immigration fine.

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One of our reporters managed to call Mr Farzanda, using the same cover story as he had told Mr Ahmad Ali.

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"I had to make up girlfriends and take female friends to functions just to have a cover story in place", said Roly Woods, who served in the Navy for 46 years.

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Related Words

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