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
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.
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Recent Examples of fill-in
Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2025
Together, the fill-in bosses turned an early one-score deficit into a 38-0 surge before obliterating Michigan State 38-13 on Saturday.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2025
In July, Crumby, who was Irvine’s assistant city manager at the time, was asked to fill in the vacancy left by Oliver Chi, who accepted the city manager position with Santa Monica.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Noun
In Diggs’ place, Schottenheimer mentioned Trikweze Bridges and Caelen Carson as potential fill-ins against the Commanders.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2025
Together, the fill-in bosses turned an early one-score deficit into a 38-0 surge before obliterating Michigan State 38-13 on Saturday.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
Veteran backup Andy Dalton filled in for Young against Buffalo and produced more turnovers (3) than scoring drives (2).
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2025
In July, Crumby, who was Irvine’s assistant city manager at the time, was asked to fill in the vacancy left by Oliver Chi, who accepted the city manager position with Santa Monica.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fill-in
Noun
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In Normal, Odenkirk plays an unassuming substitute sheriff with a troubled past who, after moving to a small, sleepy town, responds to a bank robbery and unknowingly uncovers something far more explosive.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
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Do not take this as a substitute for sitting down with someone in a white coat to tell you what’s what.—
Quispe López,
Them.,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Grinys’ teddy-bear demeanor and hulking form provide an interesting juxtaposition informing Rimantas’ internality.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
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But the ongoing government shutdown has also delayed the September jobs report, a key piece of data that typically helps inform Fed decisions.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Financial roadblocks standing in the way Many are navigating a unique economic moment where both median home and rental prices, for example, have risen at a faster pace than wages for roughly two decades.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
31 Oct. 2025
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If Gala stands in for both feminism and fun, Lane’s realization suggests a growing understanding that women—and everyone else, presumably—need both in order to be whole.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Several names have been floated as possible replacements for Kelly in Baton Rouge.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
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After undergoing multiple hip surgeries, including a total replacement, his fiancée was largely absent.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Three people familiar with the situation told Semafor that Hurley reached out to an email address the reporter believed belonged to the former mayor of New York.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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Expectations further rose over the course of the president’s trip to Asia, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, with the hopes that the deal would produce more than just a low-key touchpoint between the two world leaders.—
Betsy Klein,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The upcoming film, titled The Social Reckoning, will instead see Jeremy Strong take over as the newest onscreen iteration of Zuckerberg.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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Englund originated the role of Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, portraying him in eight films before Jackie Earle Haley took over in the 2010 remake of the original.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Veteran backup Andy Dalton filled in for Young against Buffalo and produced more turnovers (3) than scoring drives (2).—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Oct. 2025
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The situation is likely to seem even more bizarre to some people, after a video was released Tuesday, showing Perry picking up a birthday cake presented to her by her Lifetimes Tour backup dancers and smashing it on the ground.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Drivers are advised to slow down, use caution, and carry winter emergency kits, while outdoor enthusiasts are being warned to prepare for rapidly changing and potentially dangerous weather conditions.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Springer advised his teammates simply to be themselves.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fill-in. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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