Definition of covernext
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as in to substitute
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only a friend covered for me as a hospital volunteer while my family went on vacation

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as in to shield
to place a protective layer over better cover your skin with sunblock if you don't want a sunburn, not to mention skin cancer

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cover

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noun

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as in lid
a piece placed over an open container to hold in, protect, or conceal its contents where's the cover for the cookie jar?

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as in roof
a raised covering over something for decoration or protection all of the exhibits at the fair are under cover, so the weather won't be a factor

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cover
Verb
News of the potential deal comes as Witkoff is expected to present Putin with a proposal for a partial ceasefire covering energy and food infrastructure, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Tuesday. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 The demand letter noted that CNN has participated in the TV pool and covered presidents in the Oval Office and on Air Force One for 45 years. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Noun
In May 2024, The War Zone examined Chinese state television video showing soldiers taking cover from first-person-view (FPV) drones, using a net-catching projectile, and demonstrating a handheld jammer. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 Tint covers and frames that block the plate numbers are not allowed. — Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cover
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cover
Verb
  • Instead, Brammall and Dyer came close to substituting Colin with an elderly lady, before reverting to their original premise.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Both varieties of balsamic are tricky to substitute because their sweetness is as important as their acidity.
    — Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • There are six packets of seaweed snacks that are very lightly coated in a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The scientific payoff that followed included remote-sensing work that confirmed Bennu's surface is coated in carbon-bearing compounds.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Plus, the long-term lease business could shield it from cyclical exposure in lumber.
    — Sebastien Chasse, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Americans have been largely shielded from direct competition with Chinese automakers.
    — Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Andriesz’s death comes four months after the BBC aired a news documentary featuring him and his allegations concerning Lutnick’s ties to Epstein.
    — Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • This can be particularly concerning for people dealing with stalking, harassment or threats.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The Symptoms Women Work to Hide Sweating, hot flashes and brain fog are among the symptoms women most often try to conceal, according to the Womea survey.
    — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The gloom was useful for masking scavenging activities and for concealing one’s identity.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Jude described himself as a Republican who is willing to cross party lines.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The buzzy Canadian singer kicks it off next February in Berlin before crossing the rest of Europe then heading back to North America for a round of Canadian and West Coast dates.
    — Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The department under President Biden monitored 64 jurisdictions in 24 states on Election Day in the last midterm year, 2022.
    — Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For all its tests, the company builds realistic simulated environments, red teams these environments itself and with third parties to see whether they can be escaped, and monitors what agents do.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • More missiles, many more options This would significantly expand the ship’s ability to protect an entire naval task group, rather than primarily concentrating on defending itself and nearby assets.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Russia imposed temporary export controls on helium in April to protect its domestic supply.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cover.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cover. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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