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
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Recent Examples of fill-in
Greg Evans, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
In the coming weeks, the NFL intends to begin hiring and training replacement officials, hoping to avoid a situation similar to 2012 when a stalemate led to a 110-day lockout and fill-in officials, many unprepared, were pressed into action.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
Michelle Buteau came out to fill in.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Noun
Griffin’s empty spot at the table has been filled by a string of conservative-leaning guest hosts such as Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Abby Huntsman (both previous View regulars), Savannah Chrisley, Amanda Carpenter, Sheryl Underwood and this week’s fill-in Whitney Cummings.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
In the coming weeks, the NFL intends to begin hiring and training replacement officials, hoping to avoid a situation similar to 2012 when a stalemate led to a 110-day lockout and fill-in officials, many unprepared, were pressed into action.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Some are quick bloomers that fill in fast, while others — like daffodils and tulips — are planted earlier in the season and reward you with the first real signs of life in the yard.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
Michelle Buteau came out to fill in.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fill-in
Noun
-
In the 65th minute, second-half substitute Pablo miscontrolled El Hadji Malick Diouf’s quick throw-in.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Basic income cash transfers are not a good substitute for basic services in a social support system.—
Carrie Brandon Elliot,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Instead, inform the bank of your plans now to avoid having your funds get locked into a less profitable account.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
-
We were informed pretty quickly when each issue occurred.—
Tanya Lewis,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Messi stood in the midfield looking equally confused and irritated with his hands on his hips, looking over at the North stands, where La Familia was chanting.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2026
-
The series will include guests such as Gisèle Pelicot, the French woman who waived her right to anonymity in one of the most horrifying rape cases in history to stand in solidarity with fellow victims.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
The frequent replacements mean a more frequent launching and a more frequent deorbiting compared to old-school missions designed with longer missions in mind.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
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The old road runs right along the modern replacement, grass and weeds gradually breaking it up.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Verb
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For one, tech behemoth Microsoft reported better-than-expected quarterly results recently and told investors that capital expenditures for the year will reach $190 billion due to soaring memory costs.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
Two Game 7 victories for Cleveland tells me this team is not going to get rattled.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
There are a few possibilities for non-gopher holes, including the Norway rat, voles, moles, rabbits, ground squirrels and snakes, which don’t dig their own underground burrows but take over old tunnels and improve upon them.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
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Szabo took over day-to-day operations at the company in 2016 when her father became ill, the website said.—
Amber Gaudet,
Charlotte Observer,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Specifically, Sosa Cardona fabricated foreign law enforcement reports and other documents as false backup for his clients' asylum claims, prosecutors said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
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This matchup becomes even more juicy in 2026, with former Broncos defensive staffer Jim Leonhard now in Buffalo as the Bills’ defensive coordinator and dueling with new Broncos play-caller Davis Webb, a former Bills backup quarterback.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Lupe Todd-Medina, a Democratic strategist and a longtime Jeffries ally, is currently advising a State Senate candidate running against Brisport.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
State police later spoke to Vargas’ mother who said their lawyer had advised them not to talk to investigators and would contact police on their behalf, according to the warrant affidavit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fill-in. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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