1
: a vote cast by writing in the name of a candidate
2
: a candidate whose name is written in
wrote in; written in; writing in; writes in
1
: to insert in a document or text
2
a
: to insert (a name not listed on a ballot or voting machine) in an appropriate space
b
: to cast (a vote) in this manner
Examples of write-in in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Several potential reforms could address this vulnerability, including allowing write-in candidates in general elections, automatically elevating the third-place primary vote-getter when a primary winner withdraws, or abandoning the top-two system entirely to restore party-nominating primaries.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 6 May 2026
Prime Video released a statement in the form of a message written in the sand, asking fans to stop showing up at the set.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for write-in
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Noun
Barring a successful write-in candidate in the June primary, Lee and Powell will face each other in a November runoff.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Several potential reforms could address this vulnerability, including allowing write-in candidates in general elections, automatically elevating the third-place primary vote-getter when a primary winner withdraws, or abandoning the top-two system entirely to restore party-nominating primaries.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
Like other stories of fractured childhoods, including Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died and Jeannette Walls’s The Glass Castle, Konkle writes in unflinching detail about how her relationship with her parents devolved under the weight of a messy divorce and financial strain.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 6 May 2026
Prime Video released a statement in the form of a message written in the sand, asking fans to stop showing up at the set.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for write-in
Cite this Entry
“Write-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/write-in. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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