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

Phrases

stand in with

: to be in a specially favored position with

Synonyms

Noun

• backup
• cover
• designated hitter
• fill-in
• locum tenens
• pinch hitter
• relief
• replacement
• reserve
• sub
• substitute

Verb

• cover
• fill in
• pinch-hit
• step in
• sub
• substitute
• 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

His roster of jobs before finding his calling at CAA, ranged from movie PA to film editor and an extremely brief stint as stand-in for Marlon Brando. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2024

That massive inconvenience that comes with taking care of the dog becomes a stand-in for the messiness of grief, especially the grief that follows losing a loved one to suicide. —Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 4 Oct. 2024

Verb

His spartan lifestyle, which stood in direct contrast to the public’s imagination of Nazis hiding out in South America, also played a factor in his ability to remain a ghost for so long. —Josh Weiss, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024

New this year, the rescue squad will have physical stands in a few cities to help people out in person. —Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 1 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1904, in the meaning defined above

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