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
The casting company is looking for stand-ins, and the photos certainly do look like Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Sudeikis and possibly Jeremy Swift. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2025 The women from the university who tell her there’s nothing to be done are not necessarily meant to stand in for All Women, and the judge who excuses her from the jury pool in an unrelated case is less a stand-in for Justice than a colorful side character. Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 June 2025
Verb
At full time, Liam stands in front of the television chanting Dalglish’s name, before the other band members throw United fan Bonehead out of the house. Michael Cox, New York Times, 29 June 2025 His pragmatic optimism stands in stark contrast to much of the corporate world, where sustainability targets are often designed by communications departments rather than operational leaders. Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 28 June 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 6 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!