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fill-in 1 of 2

noun

ˈfil-ˌin How to pronounce fill-in (audio)
Definition of fill-innext
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

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fill in

2 of 2

verb

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

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.
Recent Examples of fill-in
Noun
Gibbons, now 76, and Francis will continue to perform as ZZ Top and will resume the group’s postponed tour with a date in Austin, Texas this weekend with a fill-in drummer, a rep confirms to Variety. — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026 After all, when employees call out on short notice, businesses pay for it — in longer lines, less efficient service and overtime for fill-in staff. — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
The Project Runway star, 53, was announced as the latest guest judge to fill in for Simon Cowell on America’s Got Talent. — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026 LaNeve, who is filling in as the Army’s top uniformed officer, recently ordered the battalion to refocus on its core mission of being an airborne infantry unit. — Konstantin Toropin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fill-in
  1. substitute
  2. inform
  3. stand in
  4. replacement
  5. tell
  6. take over
  7. backup
  8. advise
Noun
  • Weah was ineffective as a substitute against Paraguay and again when starting against Turkey.
    — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Yet success can quietly become a substitute for meeting those needs.
    — Michelle De Almeida, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of substitute
Verb
  • Instead, the shoes with Protro editions that are still wildly popular among players today have informed best practices that carry over, including collar height and offset from heel to toe.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Antonelli hurriedly informed his race engineer, Peter Bonnington, who had been regularly reminding the Italian to adhere to track limits throughout the race and to look after his car.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of inform
Verb
  • Early on Monday morning, less than 24 hours after the Carolina Panthers were dealt a 59-37 loss to the Chicago Bears, head coach Dave Canales stood in front of his players and offered them some hope.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Roberts stood in front of the club’s traveling party and a small collection of champagne flutes for a brief toast.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of stand in
Noun
  • If the claim is approved, the company pays toward the repair or replacement up to the plan’s coverage limit.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026
  • An examination of half of the building’s 278 panels reportedly revealed that 46 had severe structural corrosion and 93 had mild-to-moderate corrosion; one third of them requires immediate replacement.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of replacement
Verb
  • Home plate umpire Doug Eddings called time to tell Hancel Rincon to fix his hat.
    — Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Several parents previously told the Democrat-Gazette and other local media that the couple then disappeared and stopped responding to emails or phone calls.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of tell
Verb
  • Ballet flats have dominated the fashion scene for years, but now the classic silhouette has a cool trendy sibling taking over the spotlight for fall.
    — Casey DelBasso, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The concern is that if AI systems take over the process of training new models, their human developers could eventually lose control over how those systems evolve.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of take over
Noun
  • The Fever guard will be a necessary backup to Gray for the 2028 Games.
    — Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Extensive lines backed up at Kauai's primary airport as people tried to leave the island; state officials said the airport was operating on a lone backup generator because a second generator was damaged by the storm.
    — GENE JOHNSON, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of backup
Verb
  • But Hansford advises cities that reparations programs resting on that argument are unlikely to survive legal scrutiny.
    — Adrian Florido, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Activist networks and legal scholars are rehearsing doomsday scenarios, planning mass protests and advising judges on ballot seizures and ICE deployments, underscoring fears that the midterms could stress-test American democracy.
    — Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of advise

Browse Nearby Words

fillies
fill-in
fill in
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fill-in. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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