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

So anyone and anything can become a stand-in for their outrage, even if the target didn’t do anything to hurt any of us, like the random woman who got death threats after she was caught on cam with her boss at a Coldplay concert. — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026

Furious 7 was still in production at the time, so his remaining scenes were completed using CGI, archival footage and his brothers Caleb and Cody Walker as stand-ins. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2026

Verb

Shoichiro and Kikuko stood in the storefront watching the doctor leave after making a truly fortunate determination. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Across the hall, in a lavender family room, a vintage TV installation by Jennifer stands in a corner playing hazy family videos and iconic cultural moments such as James Brown’s famously bizarre 1988 CNN interview on a loop. — Jewel Wicker, Architectural Digest, 4 Aug. 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