under cover

1 of 3

phrase

1
: in an envelope or wrapper
2
: under concealment : in secret

undercover

2 of 3

adjective

un·​der·​cov·​er ˌən-dər-ˈkə-vər How to pronounce undercover (audio)
: acting or executed in secret
specifically : employed or engaged in spying or secret investigation
an undercover agent
undercover adverb

undercover

3 of 3

noun

: a person engaged in undercover activity : spy

Examples of under cover in a Sentence

Adjective an undercover operation to infiltrate the terrorist organization for months she's been an undercover agent pretending to be a drug dealer Noun within the city was a well-organized fifth column, and these undercovers would make themselves known as soon as the invading forces breached the city limits
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Gaff reportedly obliged, providing the undercover detectives with a sample that was subsequently sent through the federal database CODIS, where investigators ultimately linked him to Weaver's murder. Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026 Essayli on Monday confirmed that Armstrong became known to the DOJ after an undercover video was posted online by James O'Keefe, the founder of conservative nonprofit Project Veritas. Austin Turner, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Noun
Nathan Richman: What was the best cover one of your undercovers had? Tax Notes Staff, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2026 Meanwhile, Chee goes further undercover. Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for under cover

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1920, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of under cover was in 1920

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Under cover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/under%20cover. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

undercover

adjective
un·​der·​cov·​er
-ˌkəv-ər
: acting or performed in secret
an undercover scheme
especially : employed or engaged in spying or secret investigation
an undercover agent
undercover adverb
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