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
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 Vizzina threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns in a fill-in start, losing to SMU in 2025. — Bob Ferrante, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
Tampa Bay will also be without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield for the next few weeks, with undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels expected to fill in. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 Also, one of the biggest risks in using generic off-the-shelf AI for abstracting real estate documents is that the AI model can produce and fill in a plausible value, ignoring what the source supports. — Pranit Banthia, Forbes.com, 29 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
  • 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
  • At the opening, Lafayette 148 NorthPark will feature its fall 2026 collection, including exclusive leather colorways created for Dallas, precise tailoring and signature white shirts informed by the archives and three decades of craftsmanship.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Livia’s unease informs her skepticism of politics; in linking the two, Kingsolver conflates class and culture, using the former as an excuse for what really just seems to be Livia’s constitutional conservatism.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 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
  • At Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, its flagship, Anthem’s broad-network plan pays almost $100,000 for a major joint replacement, compared with $28,000 from Medicare.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Two visions of Social Security Boccia’s argument was that Social Security has become an expensive wage-replacement system that sends its largest benefits to people most capable of providing for themselves.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of replacement
Verb
  • Serena tells him his former boss Elliott Wyatt recommended him highly, which is strange given his former reticence.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • After the election, legislating is an obvious place to go, given the public and many lawmakers in both parties want to see something done, the tech industry source told Semafor.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 2 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 Syracuse, the decision to go with backup Amari Odom over Steve Angeli at quarterback may have been a season-changer.
    — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Williams was an obvious successor after rushing for 443 yards and seven touchdowns over his first two seasons as a backup.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of backup
Verb
  • However, a letter Lowen uncovers later claims the manuscript was purely fictional and a writing exercise she was advised to do by her publisher.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Forge has brought in Head of Gaming & Interactive Experiences Léonidas Vesperini and former Lionsgate SVP Marc Lorber is advising the company, which launched over the summer.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 5 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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