undercover
Americanadjective
-
working or done out of public sight; secret.
an undercover investigation.
- Synonyms:
- hidden, clandestine, covert
-
engaged in spying or securing confidential information.
an undercover agent.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of undercover
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her plot-rich story includes art terrorists, undercover agents, snooty Parisians, sneaky New Yorkers and a one-armed billionaire.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
The stranger, however, arrived at the rendezvous accompanied by undercover police officers, who arrested the man.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
A male undercover researcher also visited a mini-mart elsewhere in the West Midlands, where we were told vapes were being sold to children.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
The police, who are currently concerned about the disappearance of an undercover officer, have their own uses for him.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
They went undercover into schools all over the world, looking for potential half- bloods and escorting them back to camp.
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
