fill in the blanks

phrase

1
: to put information into blank spaces : to provide missing information
Please fill in the blanks on the questionnaire.
sometimes used figuratively
At the end of the movie, the narrator goes back and fills in (all) the blanks.
2
: to provide one's own conclusion
He would not tell me the whole story of the argument, and I was left to fill in the blanks for myself.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fill in the blanks.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fill%20in%20the%20blanks. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster