cover-up

American  

[kuhv-er-uhp] / ˈkʌv ərˌʌp /

noun

1. any action, stratagem, or other means of concealing or preventing investigation or exposure.

2. Also coverup any of various women's garments, as loose blouses, jump suits, caftans, or sarongs, worn over a swimsuit, exercise clothing, or the like.

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cover-up British  

noun

1. concealment or attempted concealment of a mistake, crime, etc

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verb

1. (tr) to cover completely

2. to attempt to conceal (a mistake or crime)

   she tried to cover up for her friend

3. (intr) boxing to defend the body and head with the arms

cover up Idioms  

1. Wrap up or enfold in order to protect. For example, Be sure to cover up the outdoor furniture in case of rain , or It's cold, so be sure to cover up the baby . [Late 1800s]

2. Conceal something, especially a crime, as in The opposition accused the President of covering up his assistant's suicide . [c. 1920]

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Etymology

Origin of cover-up

First recorded in 1925–30; noun use of verb phrase cover up

Example Sentences

Human rights activists and relatives of the missing quickly denounced the report as a cover-up — the latest attempt to “disappear the disappeared.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

This fuelled claims of a cover-up, which authorities have denied.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

“It’s incredibly serious, points to a possible cover-up and is something that is just developing,” he said.

From Salon • Feb. 24, 2026

It also alleges the cover-up went all the way up to Customs and Border Protection commissioner Rodney Scott, who was Border Patrol deputy chief for the San Diego region when Hernández Rojas died.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026

The truth was also coming out about Nixon’s cover-up of the Watergate break-in.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Related Words

• complicity
• conspiracy
• evasion