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
David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Meanwhile, in the White House briefing room this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio filled in for Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary now on maternity leave, quoting rap lyrics in response to questions about Iran.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 7 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
Reckless policies made by the federal government are leaving our neighbors struggling to afford essentials, and our local city and county governments have a responsibility to fill in the gaps.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Meanwhile, in the White House briefing room this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio filled in for Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary now on maternity leave, quoting rap lyrics in response to questions about Iran.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fill-in
Noun
-
The substitute looks up and sends a shot crashing against the post from a tight angle.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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In 2025, the CMS Fraud Defense Operations Center stopped nearly $185 million in improper payments to suspect providers billing for skin substitutes.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, said Kyiv had informed Israeli authorities about the vessels in advance.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Luckily, the hunters brought the deer to a butcher who then informed EnCon police.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Airelles Château de la Messardière in Saint-Tropez will be filmed as the White Lotus du Cap, and the historic Hotel Martinez on the Croisette in Cannes will stand in as the White Lotus Cannes.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
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In January, after his surprising decision to fire Harbaugh, Bisciotti stood in the line of fire, owning the decision during a lengthy press conference that, because of the owner’s candor, was largely well received.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Warriors, according to Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor, began looking into current Florida coach Todd Golden, a Saint Mary’s alum and former USF coach, as a potential replacement if the 60-year-old Kerr did not return.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
10 May 2026
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Canned tuna isn’t a replacement for the fresh kind but instead is its own big player.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Daniel de Visé Americans who traveled on the MV Hondius cruise ship will have the option to return home, rather than to a national quarantine center, if safety protocols permit, a top health official told CNN on Sunday.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
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Alexa told me she was relieved by the outcome.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Sterling took over as the Yankees’ play-by-play announcer in 1989, the first of 36 years on the job.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
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By 1979, when Six Flags took over the park, the ride’s name changed to La Revolucion, transforming the revolutionary reference from American to Mexican.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Brake-by-wire technology has existed in limited forms before, mainly as hybrid systems that still relied on hydraulic backups.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
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Our hero and best surviving element was a third-generation dupe negative, with a fourth-generation fine grain as a backup.—
Chris Yogerst,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Verb
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The following year, the City Council called for an independent commission to advise on overhauling the city’s criminal-justice system; it was chaired by Jonathan Lippman, a former chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals, and Richards became a member.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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Outside the realm of dedicated wine investment companies such as Winecap, specialty wine merchants are cautious when advising clients on the investment potential of their purchases.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fill-in. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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