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Glite Dictionary
to break cover

to break cover

3 7.0
To come out of hiding into the open
  • phrasal verb
  • /breɪk ˈkʌvər/
translation icon : salir de la cobertura
  • Most Democrats have not yet realized that the NRA has turned itself into a paper tiger, and are not yet willing to break cover and talk about the issue.

And as he moved off, the motorbike broke cover to follow, follow the mog along.

Examples

  • The other squad had broken cover and was charging full frontal.

    Blog text (9)

  • I couldn't break cover.

    Point Break (2015)

  • Tell the men to break cover.

    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

  • - We're breaking cover, sir.

    The Great Raid (2005)

  • When they lower their guns, break cover and rush 'em.

    Rooster Cogburn (1975)

  • In a mad act, he breaks cover and runs down toward the departing boats.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • King barks and breaks cover, rushing at you.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • That's when Charly breaks cover.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Defoe broke cover, skipping over boulders in his sticky boots.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • After waiting for hours, the soldiers decided to break cover and make their advance.

Synonyms

to come out
vsto break cover
830 2.9

To become known to people after being hidden

is about a person leaving concealment after staying hidden for some time
to leap out
vsto break cover
3 3.1

To jump out suddenly from a hiding place to surprise someone

is about leaving concealment after a period, not always suddenly

Antonyms

to hide
∞ 1.0

To keep something so others cannot see or understand it

How Visible

to emerge
249 3.5
to break cover
3 7.0
to peek
119 1.1

Surface Forms

break cover infinitive
breaking cover present participle
breaks cover third person singular
broke cover past
broken cover past participle

Morphology

break + cover

The verb 'break' (to forcefully remove or end) combined with 'cover' (a concealment) yields a fairly direct image of removing or ending concealment, so an English learner who knows both words can reasonably infer 'come out of hiding' or 'reveal oneself'. However, the construction is somewhat metaphorical and used idiomatically in contexts like military or journalistic language, so the exact pragmatic use and register may not be fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

Break cover comes from hunting and fighting: a person or animal hiding behind bushes or a wall would have to literally break their cover and step out to move or escape. So, it now means 'to come out of hiding' or 'reveal oneself'.