cover one's tracks

present singular third person covers one's tracks · participle present covering one's tracks · participle past covered one's tracks · past covered one's tracks

1. figurativelyTo conceal how one has arrived at a certain result or position.

   C.I.E. Class "D14" 4-4-0 No. 89 covers its tracks with a magnificent smokescreen as it pulls out of Dun Laoghaire with the 9.0 a.m. boat train for Dublin. [in this case, railway tracks]

   1959 September, “Talking of Trains”, in Trains Illustrated, page 401, photo caption

2. figurativelyTo conceal, hide or destroy evidence of one's actions or identity.