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
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.
Adjective
One that, again, merged something familiar – an undercover cop – with something unfamiliar: the world of art fraud. Marta Balaga, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025 In 2023, Benjamin Coney, 30, and Emily Grace Brinley, 26, both from Conway, messaged an undercover FBI agent posing as a mom of two girls, according to a Jan. 16 news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas. Paloma Chavez, Kansas City Star, 21 Jan. 2025
Noun
The Confidential Rental and Leasing Office, created under former Commissioner Ray Kelly, has an important core purpose: to give investigators, including undercovers, a way to procure and use a range of vehicles that don’t automatically give them away, which standard unmarked cop cars tend to do. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2025 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 See all Example Sentences for undercover 

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 30 Jan. 2025.

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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