cover up
To conceal or disguise.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“They tried to cover up the mistake.”
“The company attempted to cover up the financial loss to keep their investors from panicking.”
“Despite the elaborate efforts to cover up the scandal, the truth eventually surfaced through a series of leaked documents.”
- 01
blow someone's cover
To reveal that someone's behavior, situation, or identity has been fabricated or deliberately misrepresented for an ulterior motive.
- 02
break cover
To disclose one's real thoughts and intentions.
- 03
cover one's bases
To be thorough; to prepare thoroughly or completely.
- 04
cover someone's ass
To make preparations or take precautions to ensure that a person is not blamed or punished for his or her conduct.
- 05
judge a book by its cover
To make judgments about things or people by considering external appearances alone.
- 06
take cover
To shelter oneself.
- 07
you can't judge a book by its cover
It is not possible to make reliable judgments about things or people by considering external appearances alone.
Last updated August 10, 2026