stand-in

1 of 2

noun

1
: someone employed to occupy an actor's place while lights and camera are readied
2

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

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
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
Alas, Karsh is a fictional stand-in for David Cronenberg instead of the real McCoy, and that means he’s filled with fanciful hopes and surrounded by characters who solely exist to confound them. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 Apr. 2025 The Emmy Award-winner plays the Black woman stand-in for a white male protagonist in an imaginary story to repurpose the popularity of a once successful Keyworth Pictures’ franchise. Malik Peay, Essence, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
Over his first 100 days back in office, Donald Trump has presided over an America teetering on the brink of losing its liberal democratic form of government and standing in the world. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2025 The last-minute pact averted a retrial over claims filed by the wife and two daughters of Terry Carter, the Compton businessman who died on Jan. 29, 2015, when Knight mowed him down in the parking lot of a Los Angeles burger stand in an incident linked to the N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stand-in

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stand-in was in 1904

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stand-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand-in. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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

stand in

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)stan-ˈdin
: to act as a stand-in
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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