cover story


noun

a magazine article highlighted by an illustration on the cover.
a fabricated story used to conceal a true purpose; alibi: No one believed the cover story released to the press.

Origin of cover story

First recorded in 1945–50

Example sentences from the Web for cover story

Idioms and Phrases with cover story

cover story

1

A featured story in a magazine that concerns the illustration on the cover, as in The earthquake is this week's cover story for all the news magazines. [Mid-1900s]

2

A false story intended to mislead or deceive; also, an alibi. For example, Their cover story while investigating local repair services was that they had just bought the house and were having problems, or The suspect gave the police some cover story about being held up. [Mid-1900s]