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
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 25 July 2025
Just days later, James Hetfield would break his arm in a skateboarding accident, leading to a temporary fill-in by roadie (and future Metal Church guitarist) John Marshall.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 24 July 2025
Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2025
In June, researchers documented a phishing attack that used an .svg file to open a fake Microsoft login screen with the target’s email address already filled in.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Noun
That’s all baked in, and while not always successfully (three of those characters are ultimately revisited by way of the use of on-screen sons, who provide tenuous fill-in work), there’s something to be said for how the film doesn’t look away from those implications.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 25 July 2025
Just days later, James Hetfield would break his arm in a skateboarding accident, leading to a temporary fill-in by roadie (and future Metal Church guitarist) John Marshall.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 24 July 2025
Verb
Campbell has been filling in as Miami’s starting strong safety since Ashtyn Davis sustained a low extremity injury to his left leg in camp’s first week, but the return of Ifeati Melifonwu, who began training camp on the non-football injury list, might ease the possible loss of Campbell.
—Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2025
In June, researchers documented a phishing attack that used an .svg file to open a fake Microsoft login screen with the target’s email address already filled in.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fill-in
Noun
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The information provided by Diversified, LLC should not be a substitute for consulting a qualified tax advisor, accountant, or other professional concerning the application of tax law or an individual tax situation.—
Andrew Rosen,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Keep in mind that supplements are not a substitute for healthy eating, and more is not always better.—
Patricia Weiser,
Verywell Health,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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During the conversation: • Lead with curiosity informed by intelligence, not information dumps.—
B.D. Dalton,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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The population count also informs how the government allocates federal funding for programs and public services including healthcare, education, and infrastructure.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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He was berated by the president and Vice President JD Vance for insufficient gratitude toward the United States for its help and for standing in the way of a peace agreement with Russia.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
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The Starship vehicle SpaceX assigned to the next flight, designated Ship 36, exploded on a test stand in Texas as teams filled it with cryogenic propellants for an engine test-firing.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Jhon Arias and David Moller Wolfe profile as direct replacements for Cunha and Ait-Nouri, and Fer Lopez is a talented player too.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
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Perfect Size and Burn Time: At a standard size, the candle provides ample burn time to keep the Halloween spirit glowing throughout the season without the hassle of frequent replacements.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This excerpt tells the story of a most unusual act of humanity in one of the darkest places on Earth.—
Charles Pellegrino,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
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The reason for the lower top-of-the-range in the new guidance is due mainly to economic uncertainties, a spokesperson told WWD in an statement.—
Cathrin Schaer,
Footwear News,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Monsoon, 37, takes over the role from Escola, as well as Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and Betty Gilpin (Glow), who all previously portrayed Mary at New York City's Lyceum Theater.—
Nigel Smith,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Judges can order financially distressed nursing homes into receivership and appoint a neutral third party to take over management and file regular reports to the courts.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Flood water and a sewage backup filled the basement of his business.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Again, these were the starters against Tampa Bay's backups, so take this with a gigantic grain of salt.—
Nick Suss,
Nashville Tennessean,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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These services include research, analysis, advising, consulting, benchmarking, acquisition matchmaking and video and speaking sponsorships.—
Patrick Moorhead,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Local nonprofit Friends of Cibola NWR also advised boaters to avoid the area in a Facebook post.—
Stephanie Murray,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fill-in. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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