Meaning

2 senses

  1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see break, cover.

  2. (broadly, idiomatic)To disclose one's real thoughts and intentions.

    Government MPs sympathetic to the opposition's arguments are starting to break cover.

Examples

1 sentences

  1. The result of a record-breaking heat wave covering much of southeastern Europe, wildfires have sprung up across Turkey, Italy and Greece.

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Forms

breaks cover, breaking cover, broke cover, broken cover
Base formbreak cover · to break cover
3rd person singularbreaks cover
Present participlebreaking cover
Past simplebroke cover
Past participlebroken cover

irregular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theybreak cover
he, she, itbreaks cover

Past simpleLesson

all personsbroke cover

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave broken cover
he, she, ithas broken cover

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill break cover

Synonyms

2 synonyms
show one's true colorsshow one's true stripes

Word family

1 related words
Relatedbreak character

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
breadthbreadwinnerC2breakA1breakableB2breakagebreakdownB2
break cover — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto