to conceal

‘Conceal’ is a more formal word for ‘hide’. It’s especially used when someone is hiding something for a bad reason. So we talk, for instance, about ‘a concealed weapon’, if someone has a gun or knife hidden under their jacket. Sometimes the most ordinary data conceals very interesting or significant patterns which can be revealed if you use the right tool or instrument of analysis.

The company’s apparent profitability concealed a number of basic weaknesses which would affect future performance.

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