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
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Recent Examples of fill-in
Mike Kaye
updated March 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
Ware was quiet as the Heat’s fill-in starting center, recording seven points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field and 0-of-6 shooting on threes, eight rebounds, one assist and one block in 28 minutes.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 22 Apr. 2026
His filling in for Miller last night came a game after Bradgley Rodriguez filled in for Morejón and Adam, who were getting a day of Sunday due to their workload.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Noun
The former Virginia Tech standout was particularly effective as a fill-in starter last season.
—Mike Kaye
updated March 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Mar. 2026
Ware was quiet as the Heat’s fill-in starting center, recording seven points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field and 0-of-6 shooting on threes, eight rebounds, one assist and one block in 28 minutes.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
Your brain can fill in every little hole because that’s what the brain does.
—Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 22 Apr. 2026
His filling in for Miller last night came a game after Bradgley Rodriguez filled in for Morejón and Adam, who were getting a day of Sunday due to their workload.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fill-in
Noun
-
Anouk Denton The versatile 22-year-old defender came on as a late substitute in England’s 2-0 win over Ghana in December, shortly before moving from West Ham United to Bay FC.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
So, in Swalwell’s case, the Democratic Party alone wouldn’t be entitled to select his substitute — unless the law were changed.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Williams said that the new results can help inform the experimental design for these future missions.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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The fans who experience it smoothly will be the ones who planned early, stayed informed and adapted their expectations to the realities of hosting an event of this scale.—
Taylor Haught,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Further out, a cemetery monument stands in honor of the 150 people who died at the camp during their imprisonment.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
21 Apr. 2026
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During the great financial crisis—when shocks hit our economy, unemployment spiked, our economic system faced collapse, and America’s standing in the world was scrutinized—our central bank played an indispensable role.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Instead, as Quick reported, Dundon has already been canvassing the basketball world for Splitter’s possible replacement while clearly not caring about the awful optics.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The replacement was made possible by the generous donation of an anonymous person, done in honor of his history-loving deceased wife.—
Janet Kusterer,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Federal authorities leading investigation The FBI is leading the criminal probe while the Secret Service is focusing on the suspect's behavioral profile, a senior law enforcement official briefed on the bicoastal investigation told USA TODAY.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
From there, his reaction was telling.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Alaves are happy to chase their opponents up the pitch, Mallorca are more comfortable sitting back, while Sevilla have adopted a direct approach since Luis Garcia Plaza took over in March.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
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From September 1, senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus will take over the reins from Cook, while Cook will be appointed Apple’s executive chairman.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Heady and agile, Simpson recalls former NFL quarterback Brian Hoyer, who started for eight NFL franchises but was mostly a very good backup.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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Quarterback Matthew Stafford is returning after a league MVP season in 2025, so Simpson will slide in as his backup with Jimmy Garoppolo still considering retirement.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Altman is a booster for San Francisco, advising its mayor and expanding OpenAI’s offices here, while Musk shuns the city and now lives in Texas.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
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Homes in the vicinity have been evacuated and members of the public are advised to avoid the area, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Sunday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fill-in. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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