as in substitute
a person or thing that takes the place of another
I'm just a fill-in, so I have no idea where office supplies are kept
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to inform
to give information to
my friend quickly filled me in on the portion of the movie that I had missed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to substitute
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
she's only filling in while the regular secretary is on vacation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fill-in
Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2026
Smith has spent the past two seasons as the club’s go-to fill-in man but is now the lead candidate to replace Gold Glove-winner Marcus Semien at second base despite relative inexperience at the position.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
Lily Wohlner, Allure, 25 Mar. 2026
Zach Schermele here, USA TODAY's congressional reporter, filling in for Kathryn Palmer.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Noun
Then there are the fill-ins from Triple-A who pop up regularly.
—Susan Slusser, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2026
Smith has spent the past two seasons as the club’s go-to fill-in man but is now the lead candidate to replace Gold Glove-winner Marcus Semien at second base despite relative inexperience at the position.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
Laura Geller’s Sculpt-n-Stay Pencil glides on easily, fills in sparse areas, and keeps brows perfectly shaped and in place all day.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 25 Mar. 2026
Zach Schermele here, USA TODAY's congressional reporter, filling in for Kathryn Palmer.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fill-in
Noun
-
The Caitlin Clark-effect was not a myth, and there is no substitute for an organic creation that can consistently bust 3-pointers from 30 feet.—
Mac Engel
March 31,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Messi went in as a halftime substitute in the 2-1 victory over Mauritania on March 27, a result against an inexperienced opponent that did not sit well with Scaloni.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Its founding principles—informed by an environmentally-conscious ethos and values which ‘protect the islands, support local communities, and do business in a…fair and future-focused way,’ says Dixon—mirrored those at Nikoi, and still hold strong today.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
These experiences eventually informed the vision behind The Tagline Group.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The machine stood in its own room, looking stark and alone.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The resort stands in a prime oceanfront position on the southern edge of pretty San José del Cabo, just a 20 minutes’ drive from Los Cabos International Airport and 5 minutes from the artsy town center itself.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Knee replacement surgery used to require a surgeon to manually saw bone — an inherently imprecise process.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Savaiinaea’s still projected as a starter heading into 2026 unless the Dolphins find a replacement in this upcoming draft.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One of them told Felder that the precinct had received a complaint about a trespasser at the synagogue.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Minnesota victim wants accountability After she was injured, Stotko told the city council in her community of Hastings, Minnesota, about her crash to push for a stricter ordinance.—
Sarah Raza,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Part of the company’s dramatic turnaround since new ownership took over in 2019 has been to allow individual stores to tailor the shopping experience and displays to their local markets, rather than corporate’s cookie-cutter mandates, according to reporting by ModernRetail.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
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That's definitely not an ideal situation for a coach who rose to prominence in the NCAA, and many feel that taking over at UNC could be the smart move to further his legacy as a coach.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Plus Yosh Nijman, Ekwonu’s backup and the Panthers’ swing tackle, suddenly retired earlier this month — flinging the Panthers’ offensive line plan into even narrower straits.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Denver couldn’t overcome the Patriots’ defense with backup Jarrett Stidham on a snowy championship Sunday in Denver.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This was, after all, the woman who had advised me not to hold her hand on the way to fifth grade because doing so would only increase my social isolation.—
Lena Dunham,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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A week after the crash, police are advising anyone drinking to either call a friend or use a rideshare to get home safely.—
Heath Kalb,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fill-in. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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