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
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 Before taking on her first solo anchoring role, Hylton frequently served as a fill-in anchor across the network’s morning, dayside and primetime programming. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
Documentation has long been treated like a publishing task, which worked when the reader could fill in the gaps. — Han Wang, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 That strange acclimation extends to the human characters, whose emotional histories are gradually filled in. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 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
  • Fight to Unite might appear to be a substitute for the missing Las Vegas festival, but bringing Punk Rock Bowling to Los Angeles has been discussed for years.
    — Dick Slaughter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • There is no substitute for the human connection, human thought, human nuance.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of substitute
Verb
  • His archival sketches of solitaire diamond rings also informed the design.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The facility lacks a verifiable method that informs food employees of their responsibility to report their health status in regards to illnesses that can spread through food.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of inform
Verb
  • Kore-eda said the animation Fujino later makes stands in for a future the pair never got to share.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Great for the environment, which is the idea, but a selfish part of me longed to simply stand in a stream of warm water for a minute, without using any of my muscles—especially after five hours of hiking.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of stand in
Noun
  • That includes construction, improvement, maintenance, repair and replacement of streets and sidewalks, as well as drainage, sewers and other related infrastructure.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The infrastructure work to create the tunnel, including road and drainage replacement, life safety systems and adding the structural elements, does not allow for separate lane closures, according to project information.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of replacement
Verb
  • Katie does an excellent pivot and tells everyone that Jay also said Kriste was a Traitor.
    — Alice Burton, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • But when Disney offered 13-year-old Jason Weaver $2 million to sing as young Simba in The Lion King—his mom told them no.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of tell
Verb
  • Soon after taking over the presidency, Bolsonaro cut the budgets for the National Cinema Agency (ANCINE) and the Audiovisual Sector Fund (FSA) by nearly 43%.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The county’s options for the facility range from holding Discovery Place in default and taking over the nature museum to accepting Discovery Place’s terms and giving the organization decades to repay the debt, staff said.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of take over
Noun
  • For Morgan Stanley, investors will be watching strength in merger and acquisition advisory profits, as well as how the backup in bond yields that began in late August may affect lending, M & A activity and startup funding.
    — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Hubbard has been carrying the weight of the run game pretty much by himself through four weeks; his usage wasn’t helped by the fact that backup running back Jonathon Brooks was placed on IR because of surgery to his core.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of backup
Verb
  • Inside, Kaylee is eager to prove herself by really learning laundry and nailing it; Fraser advises her to come up with a system and stick to it.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In recent history, the Justice Department's practice has been to advise prosecutors not to take any overt investigative steps against members of Congress or candidates within 60 days of an election.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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