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fills in

verb

present tense third-person singular of fill in
1
as in informs
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 substitutes
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 fills in But the clever props design (Bruce Dickinson and Anna Kraus) fills in any shoestring gaps. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026 Hydrolyzed keratin, meanwhile, fills in the gaps in the cuticle by improving elasticity and damage caused by daily styling, heat, and environmental stressors. — Madison San Miguel, Allure, 5 Sep. 2026 The movie fills in the backstory of this slow-motion trauma in a way that feels wrenchingly lifelike. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 The rest of the weekend fills in around them through much smaller moments. — Svetlana Khachiyan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Reseeding fills in those gaps before bare patches take hold, which is also crucial because bare soil serves as prime real estate for weeds looking to move in uncontested. — Amanda Tust, Architectural Digest, 7 Aug. 2026 The camera's image processor takes this data and creates a color image using a technique called demosaicing, which fills in missing color by interpolating information from the surrounding pixels. — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 31 July 2026 Her brother, Tunji, fills in the British blanks for her, but life in Lagos was a time of playing on swings and watching her brother kick a ball with his friends. — Riann Phillip, Vogue, 15 July 2026 The silver shade covers the shoe’s panels, while black fills in the liner, midsole and branding. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 24 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fills in
  1. informs
  2. substitutes
  3. tells
  4. stands in
  5. advises
  6. takes over
  7. briefs
Verb
  • Indulge in an otherworldly spa treatment or unwind with a summer cocktail—your intention informs your itinerary.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • This is specifically what informs the ethos of Jason Scott & The High Heat, a band that has come to be known equally for their raw talent as their rancorous lyrics.
    — Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of informs
Verb
  • This approach substitutes information for sensation, and reduces both human and supra-human experiences to the level of data.
    — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
  • So Tuchel, who always substitutes his wingers after roughly an hour, decided to withdraw Gordon and bring on an extra defender, Ezri Konsa.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of substitutes
Verb
  • The speed of that apology tells you how fragile the story has become.
    — Sumeet Salwan, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Earlier in the episode, Cooper tells Kat that Joe is joining them in Dubrovnik after the season is over, which instantly deflates her.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of tells
Verb
  • In one sequence, Sam stands in the middle of a rope bridge, catching a gold bar thrown at him from one side of a gorge, and then throwing it to the other side quickly enough that the weight of the gold doesn’t snap the precarious wooden planks.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The possible demise of Clarity stands in stark relief to the historic sums committed in the 2024 election cycle to shifting Washington's position on crypto.
    — Tanaya Macheel,Talia Kaplan, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of stands in
Verb
  • Ted, naturally, advises everyone to stay positive, but the outlook isn’t great, and it’s not helped by the team doctor dragging his feet about seeing the Greyhounds star, which Keeley immediately clocks as sexism.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • After washing, Adriano advises laying brushes flat or upside down to dry, with the bristles pointing downward.
    — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of advises
Verb
  • Baiz takes over for longtime ARC head coach Jon Osterhout, now the assistant athletic director and chief of staff of Sacramento State’s football program, his alma mater.
    — JOE DAVIDSON, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Lee Munn takes over as Southlake Carroll’s first new head coach since 2018, replacing Riley Dodge and inheriting a program still chasing its first state title since 2011.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of takes over
Verb
  • The Navy regularly briefs Courtney on classified matters in his position as ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Seapower subcommittee, which oversees the country’s top defense priority, the Columba ballistic missile submarines built by Electric Boat in Groton.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 18 Jan. 2026
  • The trailer immediately briefs fans that season 10 is going to be an emotional rollercoaster.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
Definition of briefs

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fills
fills in
fills (out)
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Cite this Entry

“Fills in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fills%20in. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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