1
: someone employed to occupy an actor's place while lights and camera are readied
2
stood in; standing in; stands in
: to act as a stand-in
see also:
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
Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
With its cast of characters essentially plucked from Fugard’s early life in Port Elizabeth, the play introduces Hally (a stand-in for Fugard) at a crossroads.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Before Balayan opened her restaurant in Yerevan, Tumanyan ART stood in Stepanakert, Artsakh’s capital.
—Marlise Kast-Myers, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stand-in
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Noun
Cher, our stand-in for Emma Woodhouse, is the it-girl at the center of it all, confident and unflappable in her place in the hierarchy—but with a hint of narcissism that gives her a preening over-confidence in her capabilities.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
With its cast of characters essentially plucked from Fugard’s early life in Port Elizabeth, the play introduces Hally (a stand-in for Fugard) at a crossroads.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
Often, Marcano had to stand in line for hours with her sick daughter to insure that Amalia was seen by Dilley’s medical team.
—Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Before Balayan opened her restaurant in Yerevan, Tumanyan ART stood in Stepanakert, Artsakh’s capital.
—Marlise Kast-Myers, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stand-in
Cite this Entry
“Stand-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand-in. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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