under cover
Idioms-
Protected by a shelter, as in It began to pour but fortunately we were under cover . [c. 1400]
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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.
On a pitch that had been under cover for the previous two days, under leaden skies and with showers forecast, England would have been desperate to win the toss.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 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
Machado, meanwhile, has yet to return to Venezuela from where she disappeared under cover after months in hiding to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in December.
From Barron's • Jan. 7, 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
A half-used bale of straw stood against it—no doubt clean bedding which, in the dry weather, had not been put back under cover.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
