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
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
And the vacuum here, which was filled in by complete cheerleaders a little bit, is very scary to me. — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026 To fill in the gap, our team, led by hydrologists and data scientists, created an interactive website to track permafrost thaw in near-real time across the Arctic, using a unique quality of the Arctic’s version of the sinkhole. — Anna Liljedahl, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 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
  • With substitute Danny Imray, another new face at The Racecourse Ground, setting Ekomie up for his first goal in English football, Wrexham look well served in what has been a key area throughout Parkinson’s five years at the helm.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Somehow, this all dovetails with the fact that Davis and Friend were themselves substitutes for Greta Lee and Andrew Scott, who were cast as the leads when the film was announced in 2024.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of substitute
Verb
  • This list is informed by The Athletic’s newsroom — including David Ornstein — and their reporting in the last days of the window.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Any business, town or development group needs this data informing their decisions.
    — Twila Moon, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of inform
Verb
  • Authorities said that 11 of those killed were foreigners, likely tourists who stand in long lines to board it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • One afternoon, a man wearing a purple kurta was standing in line outside the shop.
    — Akhil Sharma, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of stand in
Noun
  • Sanctioning that deal was always dependent on Liverpool being able to recruit a suitable replacement for the Netherlands international at an acceptable price.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • That began a career-threatening battle with back injuries that includes seven surgeries since 2014 — several microdiscectomies, a 2017 lumbar fusion and most recently a lumbar disc replacement performed in October 2025.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of replacement
Verb
  • The referendum campaign has fueled debate about Iceland’s place in the world, Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir told reporters after casting her ballot in ​the capital on Saturday.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Indrika Ratwatte, the acting assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, told the Security Council that the Kenscoff attack forced more than 2,600 people to flee their homes, many for the second or third time.
    — Evens Sanon, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of tell
Verb
  • As psychedelic rock took over the city in the 1960s, Latino artists blended it with Afro-Cuban beats and percussive sounds more commonly found in jazz and salsa.
    — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
  • As nonpartisan members of the congressional staff, most parliamentarians serve across administrations and Congresses, but occasionally they have been replaced in the Senate when a new party takes over the leadership.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of take over
Noun
  • There aren’t that many practice reps available during the season for one backup let alone two.
    — Jon Machota, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Since the late 1990s, taxpayers have been funding a program to stash extra Colorado River water underground, with the idea that it could be used as a backup in times of shortage.
    — Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of backup
Verb
  • Weather officials also advise applying sunscreen every two hours and avoiding alcohol when hot out.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • John Watson, the influential psychologist, advised parents not to hug or kiss their children.
    — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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