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
Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Whether Hyland has entrenched himself in a 10-man rotation, has surpassed Conley in the pecking order or has merely been a fill-in while Conley works through early-season struggles remains to be seen.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 25 Oct. 2025
Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Midfielder Jack Hinshelwood filled in at right-back against City in the absence of Veltman and fellow Dutchman Wieffer.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Noun
Young also had a fill-in right guard, Jake Curhan, play the bulk of the first half and finish out the game.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Whether Hyland has entrenched himself in a 10-man rotation, has surpassed Conley in the pecking order or has merely been a fill-in while Conley works through early-season struggles remains to be seen.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
Tim Washe filled in by making his NHL season debut, appearing in his third career game.
—Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Midfielder Jack Hinshelwood filled in at right-back against City in the absence of Veltman and fellow Dutchman Wieffer.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fill-in
Noun
-
The France midfielder signed from Lyon in the summer has been eased into his Premier League career after a two-month injury layoff, with Guardiola using him mostly as an impact substitute since returning to action in mid-October.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Private-sector sources, including the university’s sentiment survey, provide a partial substitute amid the blackout.—
Bloomberg News,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
On the whole, higher limits offer better protection, so recognizing the differences in coverage between minimum requirements and real-life needs can inform better decision-making in this regard.—
Ethan M. Stone,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Local fire and government authorities are notified prior to burn days and kept informed throughout prescribed fire operations.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Shady Maple Smorgasbord – Pennsylvania Shady Maple, an icon of the Lancaster County community, began as a small roadside produce stand in the late 1960s before expanding into a grocery store and, eventually, a full-scale buffet, according to its website and local reports.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
-
White egrets stood in the shallows, a woodpecker knocked somewhere nearby, and pairs of green parrots flew upstream, beating their wings in time.—
Stanley Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The recruitment of a permanent replacement for Mitchell is just beginning and may take much of 2026 to complete.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The company now provides hydro jetting, sewer repair and replacement, trenchless repairs, water damage cleanup services, and water filtration and softening systems.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Police added that Lattimore was arrested for not telling the officer there was a gun inside the vehicle when asked.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Federal prosecutors have launched a new criminal investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James, after a grand jury previously declined to indict her twice on unrelated criminal charges, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Another option would have Major League Baseball take over the Royals’ broadcasts.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
9 Jan. 2026
-
To get Corky off his back, Pine exposes his drinking issues, then takes over as the owner of Tradepass, the front company that Roper uses to sell weapons under the guise of agricultural equipment.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The officer directed both men to exit the SUV as his backup arrived.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Kispert has been a backup for the bulk of his five NBA seasons, all with Washington.—
Tim Reynolds,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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To avoid this issue, Wang advises simply following the product labels and dosage information while also maintaining a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule for your machine.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Once considered superficial next to financial advice and tax planning, services for health and wellness, family and kids, and travel and self-improvement are becoming core competencies in the business of advising and helping wealthy families.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fill-in. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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