as in substitute
a person or thing that takes the place of another
I'm just a fill-in, so I have no idea where office supplies are kept
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to inform
to give information to
my friend quickly filled me in on the portion of the movie that I had missed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to substitute
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
she's only filling in while the regular secretary is on vacation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of fill-in
Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 3 June 2026
The show’s format has continued to adapt with temporary substitutions, including past fill-ins during maternity leave and other extended absences among cast members.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Dan Duggan, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Having no senior class in 2024 gave the now-graduates more opportunities to fill in leadership roles, said Ethan Moore, who previously attended South Meck.
—Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Noun
This subversive summer scent trend is also a natural offshoot of last year’s influx of fill-in-the-blank-savory-food-girl summer; 2025’s tomato perfume is 2026’s sea salt scent.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 3 June 2026
The show’s format has continued to adapt with temporary substitutions, including past fill-ins during maternity leave and other extended absences among cast members.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Verb
Golston can fill in any gaps, but there aren’t going to be many snaps available if the top three outside linebackers stay healthy.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Having no senior class in 2024 gave the now-graduates more opportunities to fill in leadership roles, said Ethan Moore, who previously attended South Meck.
—Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fill-in
Noun
-
Veteran substitute Arnautovic appeared to have restored Austria’s lead in the 67th minute from a goalmouth scramble, but that was ruled out as Stefan Posch handled in the area.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
In 2023, Manchester United was losing by a goal to Brentford when McTominay was sent on as an attacking-midfield substitute, and scored both a late equalizer and a winner in the final minutes.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
But another four or five weeks of games can inform Weiss and Anthopoulos’ own answer.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
16 June 2026
-
McGregor Scott, Williamson’s attorney, said he had not been informed of any other investigations involving his client.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Though the budget contains fewer bells and whistles than might have been expected in an election-year plan designed to attract voters, Pritzker said Democrats' spending priorities stand in sharp contrast to Republican initiatives at the federal level.—
Ben Szalinski,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
While Brixon and the other award winners stood in the school gym to pose with their awards, Brogan was quick to grab his great aunt Terri Hopson's phone to record the event.—
Georgia Slater,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Assistant Leif Gunnar Smerud was named interim coach while the team searches for Straus’ replacement.—
Jordan Puente,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
-
In their place, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente somewhat bafflingly lined up Barcelona duo Ferrán Torres and Gavi as their replacements.—
Patrick Sung Cuadrado,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
Multiple officers got out of their vehicles, repeatedly telling the driver and a passenger to get out of the car, police said.—
Jenna DeAngelis,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
-
Collett reveals that he was told back in Season 1 that his run on the show would last only two seasons.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
While Korean skincare has slowly but surely taken over our medicine cabinets, Korean makeup is starting to make its way into the rest of our routine.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
23 June 2026
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The show, meanwhile, will be on hiatus for the next two weeks in re-runs, before the guest hosts take over, an ABC spokesperson said.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
Furthermore, buildings must now identify backup service providers to ensure repairs can be made even if primary companies are unavailable or out of business.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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During the Knicks’ first championship parade in 53 years, backup point guard Tyler Kolek was briefly stopped by police officers who apparently didn’t recognize him as a player.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Its drone warfare teams are now advising NATO nations (and regularly beating them in war game simulations).—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
-
Authorities advised sensitive groups, including children, older adults and people with heart or lung conditions, to limit prolonged outdoor activity as smoke levels increase.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fill-in. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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