filling in

verb

present participle of fill in
1
as in informing
to give information to my friend quickly filled me in on the portion of the movie that I had missed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in standing in
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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of filling in Guthrie sat next to Sheinelle Jones, who was filling in for Melvin on Monday. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 20 July 2026 For this week’s Infinite Scroll column, Brady Brickner-Wood is filling in for Kyle Chayka. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 15 July 2026 Today, when leaders are rarely seen or heard, more people are filling in silence with assumptions and absence can quickly be interpreted as avoidance. — Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Juicy blueberries burst during baking, melding with the fresh peach juices for a gorgeous, saucy filling in this pie. — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 12 June 2026 Parents are starting meal planning with the protein component first, then filling in the rest of the plate around it. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026 Most obviously, with free-agent addition Alijah Vera-Tucker still sitting out after missing last season with a torn triceps, Andrew Rupcich was filling in at left guard. — Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 29 May 2026 Garret Wallow and Jalen Graham took turns filling in for Warner at middle linebacker while second-year player Nick Martin manned the weakside spot. — Matt Barrows, New York Times, 29 May 2026 Both were postseason depth additions, and Petry played three games filling in for Bogosian. — John Shipley, Twin Cities, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for filling in
  1. informing
  2. standing in
  3. telling
  4. substituting
  5. advising
  6. stepping in
  7. catching up
  8. taking over
Verb
  • Corporate officials reached out to Murrell later that day and apologized to her, informing her that the driver was no longer working for FedEx.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026
  • Page’s character Sinon is the soldier tasked with informing the Trojans that the Trojan Horse is a gift from the Greeks, imploring them to drag the giant statue into the city with Odysseus, Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and more soldiers inside.
    — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
Definition of informing
Verb
  • The Boys had the Vought corporation standing in for the show’s own platform, Amazon, and Superman has an Elon Musk figure in Lex Luthor.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 July 2026
  • Moments later the Tesla Model 3 raced down a residential street in Katy, Texas, at highway speeds, slammed into a brick home and killed a 76-year-old woman standing in the front room.
    — Bernard Condon, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of standing in
Verb
  • These short chains of amino acids are found naturally in the body and act as useful messengers, telling cells when to repair damaged tissue, produce hormones, reduce inflammation, and more.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 20 July 2026
  • The presentation blends stories, historical context and quilt traditions to see how textiles are powerful tools for communication, telling stories and preserving culture.
    — La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 July 2026
Definition of telling
Verb
  • For centuries, technology has lowered costs by substituting mechanical power for human labor.
    — Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • In the early days of the republic, there were many radicals and reformers who shared my suspicion that patriotism was an evasion, substituting songs and speeches about liberty for the reality.
    — Dominic Erdozain, Time, 3 July 2026
Definition of substituting
Verb
  • By balancing organizational needs and advising both managers and employees, HR professionals demonstrate robustness and serve as effective and practical change agents and compliance experts.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Last month, my home country of the Netherlands published new health guidelines advising people to not just limit their alcohol intake, but to avoid it entirely.
    — Tim Brinkhof, Time, 23 July 2026
Definition of advising
Verb
  • As Bay Area art schools flounder under financial strain, Silicon Valley is increasingly stepping in as an influential force in the region’s cultural landscape.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2026
  • Jobs are shifting from operating software to managing a hybrid workforce of humans and agents—setting goals, validating outputs, and stepping in when judgment is required.
    — Girija Krishnamurthy, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of stepping in
Verb
  • Adoption is widespread, but the operational foundations needed to manage it are still catching up.
    — Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Here’s the news worth catching up on for Thursday, July 16, 2026.
    — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 16 July 2026
Definition of catching up
Verb
  • The retailer has expanded the space by 140 percent, taking over an area formerly dedicated to tableware, crockery and small home furnishings.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 July 2026
  • The San Francisco campus is taking over the site of the California College of the Arts, the 119-year-old institution that will graduate its final class in 2027 after struggling with falling enrollment and a roughly $20 million deficit.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 July 2026
Definition of taking over

Browse Nearby Words

filling
filling in
filling (out)
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Cite this Entry

“Filling in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/filling%20in. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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