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]
any action, stratagem, or other means of concealing or preventing investigation or exposure.
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.
(tr) to cover completely
to attempt to conceal (a mistake or crime)
she tried to cover up for her friend
(intr) boxing to defend the body and head with the arms
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]
Conceal something, especially a crime, as in The opposition accused the President of covering up his assistant's suicide . [c. 1920]
First recorded in 1925–30; noun use of verb phrase cover up
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her family had alleged that the first post-mortem was flawed and accused the police of a cover-up, a charge the police denied.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
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
Technically, no one was supposed to be living in the building, so the restaurant served as the perfect cover-up for all the people coming and going.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
