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

Relevance

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
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 Hollywood icon Rosie O’Donnell has taken stock of — and shots at — the television landscape before making her temporary return to the talk show format as fill-in host of Jimmy Kimmel Live. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 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
  • The two substitutes put those taking their place on the bench in the shade by scoring three goals between them.
    — Simon Johnson, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The first question sees technology as a substitute, while the second sees it as an amplifier.
    — Tal Dagan, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of substitute
Verb
  • The pilots did not inform air traffic controllers of any problems with the plane prior to landing, air traffic control audio indicated.
    — Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Smart travelers stay informed by reading the fine print and understanding travel requirements for their destination.
    — Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of inform
Verb
  • Stefanos Tsitsipas was the last man or woman with the stroke standing in New York, but he was well beaten by Ben Shelton in the fourth round.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • His Rain paintings — made with a fire extinguisher standing in for a rain machine, Lucien himself directing the spray — are now iconic.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of stand in
Noun
  • Seattle's success led the Las Vegas Raiders to hire Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as its head coach, and the team tapped Brian Fleury as his play-calling replacement.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026
  • While the airline and ground control argued over replacements, a group of eight highly experienced traveling grooms, including Vard, slipped into emergency mode.
    — Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 9 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
  • Other candidates for taking over ULA included Amazon, Vulcan’s biggest commercial customer.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Running back Blake Dyniewski took over in the second half for Keller picking up 180 of his 229 yards rushing after the break.
    — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of take over
Noun
  • Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold is one of the best quarterbacks on the planet at age 29, and was just hoping to hang on somewhere as a backup at age 24.
    — Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Instead of using Gay in a rotation with Tyrel Dodson, Weaver instead mostly kept Gay in one specific role — as the backup to Jordyn Brooks, who rarely came off the field.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of backup
Verb
  • Earlier this summer, a panel that advises the Food and Drug Administration recommended the government reclassify half a dozen of these peptides.
    — Will Stone, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The airport advises travelers to check with their airline for schedule changes.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 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 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shofar

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All