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

Vintage Trouble singer Ty Taylor stars in this production as the Stew stand-in known only as Narrator, along with Brittany Campbell (pictured above), Britton Smith and Saycon Sengbloh. — Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Nov. 2026

In other words, Aslan was not simply a stand-in for Jesus, and the series was not an extended metaphor. — The Conversation, 6 Nov. 2026

Verb

Claire Danes was standing in the operating room, dressed in scrubs and a mask, when a surgeon’s assistant gave her the opposite of a pep talk. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 12 Nov. 2026

Neither gets to stand in for an entire race, and neither should be forced to. — Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 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
• crankpin
• deerskin
• foreskin
• fuchsin
• herein
• kingpin
• linchpin
• pigskin

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