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

The actor also said Reiner didn’t shy from the hard parts of Elwes playing a stand-in for him. —Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025

Simpler, one-way attack, decoy, or stand-in jamming-type drones can be somewhat cheaper to produce and could still perform vital roles within a complex joint strike package. —Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025

Verb

Notably, the listing current does not leverage Kiffin’s celebrity to market the property, perhaps for obvious reasons, given his currently strained standing in the Magnolia State after ditching Ole Miss for an SEC rival during the Rebels’ College Football Playoff push. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 13 Dec. 2025

Pinnick has been a focal point for a team that is one of eight still standing in the NCAA FCS playoff bracket. —Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 13 Dec. 2025

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
• deerskin
• foreskin
• fuchsin
• herein
• kingpin
• linchpin
• pigskin
• pinyin

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