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

Relevance

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 The announcement builds on plans first revealed at the network's Upfronts in May, filling in details on nominees and a broader festival concept reshaping the franchise. — Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 On Monday, Savannah and her co-anchor, Craig Melvin, were both out, with Sheinelle Jones and Hallie Jackson filling in. — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026 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 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
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
  • Real Madrid, the last club standing in the effort, formally pulled out this past February.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 30 July 2026
  • In the snap, Portman, who’s expecting her third baby, her first with partner Tanguy Destable, could be seen standing in front of an apartment balcony in an oversized blue button-down, caressing her stomach.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
Definition of standing in
Verb
  • This is really a bet on the consumer and price has been telling us the consumer is willing and able to travel, even with spiking oil prices.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 27 July 2026
  • Saada hit back during a luncheon with French producers at Cannes, telling the crowd Canal+ would no longer be working with signatories.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 27 July 2026
Definition of telling
Verb
  • Sunmaxxing itself is free, but a commercial layer has formed around tracking it, coaching it or substituting for it when the sun is not cooperating.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
  • For centuries, technology has lowered costs by substituting mechanical power for human labor.
    — Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of substituting
Verb
  • Last week, authorities ordered the evacuation of almost 60,000 people near the city of Bordeaux, whose vineyards produce approximately 700 million bottles of wine per year, according to investment advising firm Vineyards Bordeaux.
    — Martina Di Licosa, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Minnesota's own billing guidance acknowledges this directly, advising providers to verify billing details with each MCO individually.
    — Valerie Cerra, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of advising
Verb
  • Even when the play returns to the familiar rhythm of Shaw provoking Dreyfuss and Scheider stepping in to restore peace, the performances keep the interactions engaging.
    — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of stepping in
Verb
  • What has changed is that the rest of the American market is finally catching up.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
  • Adoption is widespread, but the operational foundations needed to manage it are still catching up.
    — Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of catching up
Verb
  • With swangy flavors taking over the snack aisle, these findings raise some interesting questions about whether the trend could do more than just satisfy adventurous taste buds.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of taking over

Browse Nearby Words

filling
filling in
filling (out)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Filling in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/filling%20in. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All