covert mission
3
5.8
- noun
- /ˈkoʊvɜrt ˈmɪʃən/
:
misión encubierta
- Her role in the covert mission required her to blend in seamlessly with the local population to avoid arousing suspicion.
So yeah, Covert mission is abandoned.
- So yeah, Covert mission is abandoned.
Examples
-
After vetting Philby for the NKVD, Edith introduced him to 'Otto', another Austrian NKVD agent whose covert mission in London was to recruit for Stalin's secret service.
Academic text (2010) -
They had to make it a covert mission because back then it wouldn't have made sense to say we were involving ourselves to fight terrorism because there wasn't any terrorism yet.
Blog text (4) -
This is not a covert mission.
-
Based on their previous track record of search and capture, most experts agree that The Activity has been successful with their covert missions.
-
I've been part of a test program for contracted covert missions.
-
When the major told them he needed a man for a covert mission in Laos, a mule to carry the radio.
Fiction book (1999) -
And Operation Big Shanty was a covert mission to infiltrate and capture that fort without the need of a large force.
-
And, as an avid reader of spy fiction, she enjoyed being assigned to covert missions.
Fiction book (2000) -
They are tightly controlled and mostly involved in infiltration, covert missions, and analysis.
Blog text (14) -
During World War II, the allies conducted a covert mission to gather intelligence on enemy troop movements.
Synonyms
25
5.1
A secret police plan to trick people so they commit a crime and get arrested
23
5.7
A secret action by a government or army to avoid being noticed
17
5.5
A private job done secretly to gather information
11
4.9
Secret work where someone gathers information for the police or security
10
5.0
Secret work by police or agents who hide their identity to gather evidence
8
4.9
A secret activity by a government to gather information about an enemy or threat
3
7.7
A secret activity planned and done to stay hidden, often by spies or soldiers
1
8.4
A secret action that hides who did it, often for political or military reasons
A planned military action with clear goals that is often secret
Antonyms
- Specialized
An activity by military or intelligence groups done openly, not secretly
How Secret
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase 'covert mission' is directly and transparently derived from 'covert' (secret) + 'mission' (an assigned operation), so a learner who knows both words can accurately infer 'a secret operation'. This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows normal adjective + noun semantics, making it readily understandable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Covert mission The phrase covert mission comes from the idea of covert meaning 'hidden' and mission meaning 'task'. Imagine agents moving quietly behind bushes or buildings so no one sees them; that image explains why a covert mission means a 'secret' operation.