stand-in

1 of 2

noun

ˈstand-ˌin 

1

: someone employed to occupy an actor's place while lights and camera are readied

2

: substitute

stand in

2 of 2

verb

stood in; standing in; stands in

intransitive verb

: to act as a stand-in

see also stand in with

Synonyms of stand-in

Noun

• substitute
• replacement

Verb

• substitute
• fill in
• step in
• take over

Examples of stand-in in a Sentence

Noun

hired him at the last minute as a stand-in for the person who quit

Verb

she will be standing in for the regular teacher for a week

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The goal is to ascend to the Infinite Land, a stand-in for heaven. —Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026

Shortly thereafter, the real queen, dressed identically to her stand-in, entered the stadium to officially open the ceremony. —Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 5 Feb. 2026

Verb

There’s the memory of Richard Sherman standing in front of Earl Thomas in the locker room, shielding a crying teammate while fielding questions about what went wrong. —Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026

The Seattle Seahawks can finally settle a Super Bowl score with the New England Patriots, who snatched the Lombardi Trophy out of their beaks almost dozen years ago with one the most dramatic defensive stands in pro football history. —David K. Li, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1904, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stand-in

• akin
• auxin
• buckskin
• chagrin
• deerskin
• foreskin
• fuchsin
• herein
• kingpin
• linchpin
• pigskin
• pinyin

Kids Definition

stand-in

1 of 2 noun

ˈstan-ˌdin

1

: someone employed to occupy an actor's place while lights and camera are readied

2

: substitute entry 1

stand in

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)stan-ˈdin

: to act as a stand-in