under cover
Idioms-
Protected by a shelter, as in It began to pour but fortunately we were under cover . [c. 1400]
-
under cover of . Also, under the cover of . Hidden or protected by, as in They sneaked out under cover of darkness , or, as it was put in a sermon in 1751: “Presumption which loves to conceal itself under the cover of humility” (John Jortin, Sermons on Different Subjects ).
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.
Border guards warned crossings were increasing, with many attempting to slip across a nearby river under cover of darkness.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
But these elephants are no dopes: One of Ms. Argo’s coups is capturing a very well-organized raid—quietly executed, under cover of darkness—by a parade of males into a tomato plantation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
As the sun went down and a phone notification warned of more rain, the women, donning elf aprons and Santa hats, scrambled to move the boxes under cover.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 25, 2025
Eight soldiers were charged with depriving the students of their civil rights under cover of law, but were acquitted in a bench trial.
From Salon ● Jan. 12, 2025
Mitraillette and I both knelt wheezing with horror, side by side under cover of the undergrowth and darkness.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
