fill-in

1 of 2

noun

: someone or something that fills in

fill in

2 of 2

verb

filled in; filling in; fills in

transitive verb

1
: to enrich (something, such as a design) with detail
2
: to give necessary or recently acquired information to
I'll fill you in

intransitive verb

: to fill a vacancy usually temporarily
interns filled in for regular staffers

Examples of fill-in in a Sentence

Noun I'm just a fill-in, so I have no idea where office supplies are kept Verb my friend quickly filled me in on the portion of the movie that I had missed she's only filling in while the regular secretary is on vacation
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
After 24 games there and two fill-in games at AA Chesapeake, he was reassigned to the organization’s Florida Complex League team, which plays in Sarasota. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 18 June 2025 Cameron has started four games with the Royals, initially as an injury fill-in for Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans. Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2025
Verb
These various simulations helped fill in some gaps that a simple one-time experiment could not. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 June 2025 Matthew Bradford, a district administrator who was filling in as chief information officer at the time, told Zeman the district’s previous technology contracts had expired. Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for fill-in

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1917, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1840, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fill-in was in 1840

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Cite this Entry

“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fill-in. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

fill in

verb
1
: to furnish with specified information
fill in an application
filled us in on the latest news
2
: to fill a vacancy usually temporarily : substitute
filled in during the emergency
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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