phrasal verb · formal
break cover
/breɪk ˈkʌvər/break·COV·er
task2speaking
to come out of hiding or to reveal oneself; to appear publicly after hiding.
Examples
“The whistle‑blower finally broke cover and gave an interview.”
“Soldiers broke cover at dawn and began to advance.”
“No one has broken cover to comment on the allegations yet.”
Band 8 sentence
“Despite threats, the activist finally broke cover and spoke to the international press.”
Collocations
- broke cover to give an interview
- broke cover at dawn
Word family
break cover verb phrasebroke cover verb phrase (past)breaking cover verb phrase (gerund)
Common mistakes
break the cover→break cover
break cover up→break cover
Say it for a higher band
5appear→6emerge→7+break cover
Synonyms
emerge
Easily confused
emerge
“The witness emerged from the shadows to speak to reporters.”
Related words
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In break …
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