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
In her absence, season 1 cohosts Star Jones and Debbie Matenopoulos are set to return to the show as fill-in cohosts, alongside fellow ex-panelists Lisa Ling and cohost Sherri Shepherd. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026 Okuayinonu, a fill-in starter the past two seasons, practiced Wednesday before a foot injury kept him from joining the 49ers on their charter flight here. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
Hossein Amini did another draft and Watkins filled in to direct. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026 Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Hello, this is Hui Jie writing from Singapore, filling in for Leonie Kidd. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Oct. 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
  • At times, Zukenee’s chameleonic range and ironic language can feel like a shrewd substitute for vulnerability.
    — Narsimha Gour Chintaluri, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
  • America can point to tankers still transiting Hormuz, but shipping that depends on costly military protection and remains under threat is a poor substitute for normal trade.
    — Ali Vaez, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of substitute
Verb
  • The report stated the test was not aimed at any country or specific target, and that relevant governments were informed ahead of time.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The mass sampling and real-time information gathering on prediction markets can extend their utility to informing business decisions, according to Zitzewitz.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of inform
Verb
  • Identity and isolation are the walls; authorization is the lock on the door the agent is standing in front of.
    — Julian Durand, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • And that’s why the CDC includes a 30-second chair stand in its fall-risk assessment.
    — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of stand in
Noun
  • Mixing wand finish is oxidizing for mixing lacks replacement with stainless steel material.
    — NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Ty Dieffenbach isn’t going anywhere Heading into his first start at the Power Four level, there was still talk from coach Bob Chesney that there was a battle for Iamaleava’s replacement between Dieffenbach and Madden Iamaleava.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of replacement
Verb
  • Lamm told TechCrunch that conventional breeding can produce dogs with poor eyesight or genetic predispositions to cancer.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Beirut City Pop, the latest compilation by archival label Habibi Funk, tells the story of the artists who dared to imagine a life beyond war.
    — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of tell
Verb
  • Anthropic said last month that its own validation workloads grew 25 fold in six months as Claude took over most of its code output.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Westminster police detectives took over the investigation and determined that the deaths were a double homicide.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of take over
Noun
  • Ohio State could still beat USC on the road, even with a backup, considering the Trojans' struggles to win big games under Riley and their suffocating defense.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The team’s 2026 fortunes now rest in the hands of career backup Tanner McKee, a sixth-round 2023 draft pick.
    — David K. Li, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of backup
Verb
  • Engineering textbooks advise practitioners to limit any settlement to around 1 to 3 inches, depending on the soil.
    — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In a social media post, police advised people nearby to stay alert, be aware of their surroundings and keep children and pets close.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of advise

Browse Nearby Words

fillies
fill-in
fill in
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Cite this Entry

“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fill-in. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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