Cover your bases Meaning in English
expression
ˈkəvɝ/ /ˈjɔɹ/, /ˈjʊɹ/ /ˈbeɪsəz/, /ˈbeɪsiz/, /ˈbeɪsɪz
KUH-ver yor BAY-siz
kˈʌvɐ/ /jˈɔː/ /ˈbeɪsiːz
KU-vuh yaw BAY-seez
Definition
To prepare for all possible problems or situations, so you are not caught unprepared.
Usage & Nuances
Informal, often used in business and everyday planning. Similar to 'be prepared' or 'take precautions.' Not literal; comes from baseball. Common with 'make sure to' or 'try to'. Do not confuse with 'cover for someone' (replace) or 'base' as in base of an object.
Spanish: cubrir tus bases - cubrir todas las posibilidadesPortuguese (BR): cobrir todas as bases - garantir tudoPortuguese (PT): cobrir todas as bases - garantir tudoChinese (Simplified): 面面俱到 - 做好所有准备Chinese (Traditional): 面面俱到 - 做好所有準備Hindi: सारी तैयारी करना - हर पहलू ध्यान में रखनाArabic: تغطي جميع الجوانب - تأخذ كل الاحتمالات بعين الاعتبارBengali: সব দিক নিশ্চিত করা - সব প্রস্তুতি নেওয়াRussian: подстраховаться - учесть всёJapanese: 念のために備える - 万全を期すVietnamese: chuẩn bị mọi tình huống - phòng trường hợp bất trắcKorean: 만반의 준비를 하다 - 혹시 모르니 대비하다Turkish: her ihtimali göz önünde bulundurmak - önlem almakUrdu: تمام احتیاطی تدابیر اختیار کرنا - ہر ممکن صورت کے لئے تیاری کرناIndonesian: mengantisipasi segala kemungkinan - berjaga-jaga
Example Sentences
She double-checked her work to cover her bases.
basic
Make a list to cover your bases before traveling.
basic
They bought extra snacks to cover their bases at the party.
basic
I asked two people to help, just to cover my bases.
natural
If you want to be sure, call ahead and cover your bases.
natural
It might not rain, but bring an umbrella to cover your bases.
natural