conceal

verb

con·ceal kən-ˈsēl

concealed; concealing; conceals

transitive verb

: to prevent disclosure or recognition of

conceal the truth

She could barely conceal her anger.

: to place out of sight

concealed himself behind the door

The defendant is accused of attempting to conceal evidence.

concealable

kən-ˈsē-lə-bəl

adjective

concealingly

kən-ˈsē-liŋ-lē

adverb

concealment

kən-ˈsēl-mənt

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for conceal

hide, conceal, screen, secrete, bury mean to withhold or withdraw from sight.

hide may or may not suggest intent.

hide in the closet

a house hidden in the woods

conceal usually does imply intent and often specifically implies a refusal to divulge.

concealed the weapon

screen implies an interposing of something that prevents discovery.

a house screened by trees

secrete suggests a depositing in a place unknown to others.

secreted the amulet inside his shirt

bury implies covering up so as to hide completely.

buried the treasure

Example Sentences

The sunglasses conceal her eyes. The controls are concealed behind a panel. The defendant is accused of attempting to conceal evidence. The editorial accused the government of concealing the truth. She could barely conceal her anger.

Recent Examples on the Web Within hours, in an apparent effort to conceal evidence, authorities tried to dismantle and bury the wreckage.

Anastasia Lin, WSJ, 17 Nov. 2022 Cuevas then attempted to conceal the scheme by pressuring the fake circulator, whose signature was forged, into signing a false legal document, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Mike Mavredakis, Hartford Courant, 25 Oct. 2022 Covarrubias’s team chopped off the existing hood and built its own that was wider and extended down further in order to conceal Oscar’s face.

Shannon Carlin, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2021 And there are the sunglasses, those twentieth-century icons that both conceal and celebrate the wearer.

Roxana Robinson, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2022 Features include an adjustable strap that allows its wearer to go hands-free, as well as a rear pocket with a snap cover to conceal and protect your credit cards and cash.

Natalie Alcala, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Nov. 2022 Two officers responded at 1:52 p.m. on Oct. 10 to Dillard’s department store after a loss prevention officer reported observing a woman conceal a bottle of a men’s fragrance and then attempt to leave the store without paying.

cleveland, 30 Oct. 2022 News articles and editorials relied on euphemisms, slurs, stereotypes and labels to conceal the consequences and denigrate the 120,000 people imprisoned without due process, two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens.

Beth Nakamura, The Oregonian - OregonLive.com, 26 Oct. 2022 Olivares is due in court next week to face charges including detention of a minor with the intent to conceal from a parent and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, police said.

Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conceal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English concelen, borrowed from Anglo-French conceler, borrowed from Latin concēlāre, from con- con- + cēlāre "to hide, keep secret," probably derivative of an unattested lengthened-grade noun formed from the Indo-European verb base *ḱel- "cover, conceal," whence Latin occulere "to hide from view, keep secret" (from *ob-cel-), Old Irish ceilid "(s/he) hides," Welsh celaf "(I) hide," Germanic *hel-a- "hide" (whence Old English, Old Saxon & Old High German helan "to hide, keep secret")