undercover

1 of 2

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

2 of 2

noun

: a person engaged in undercover activity : spy

Examples of undercover 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
Adjective
In the trailer for the new series, which premieres on Nov. 29 on Paramount+ with Showtime, Michael Fassbender stars as Martian, a spy who has left his undercover position as a CIA agent to return to the real world. Liza Esquibias, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024 Between October 15 and 16, Jason Imhoff communicated with an undercover detective from the Scottsdale Police Department who posed as a 13-year-old girl through an online platform known to police as a site that predators frequent, court documents showed. Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 25 Oct. 2024
Noun
Starring Sean Penn, it was based on a book Crowe wrote after spending a year undercover as a student at Clairemont High School in San Diego. Justin Kroll, Deadline, 11 July 2024 Blazer had been wearing a wire, working in tandem with an FBI undercover, ensnaring more than ten coaches in an elaborate plot that revealed corruption in the basketball programs at Louisville, Arizona, LSU, USC and other schools. Guy Lawson, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for undercover 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undercover.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 undercover was in 1920

Dictionary Entries Near undercover

Cite this Entry

“Undercover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undercover. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on undercover

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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