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 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 Use your phone to take a picture of that grocery run or dinner out, and the app fills in the price, category, labels and notes for you. — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 1 July 2026 Schmidt then fills in the blanks. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 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 Now the same will be true for everyone who fills in the remainder of the coaching staff, both for the duration of this season and in the years to come. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026 There, Sam unleashes reams upon reams of monologues about their past at a teary Mary, who fills in a few gaps. — Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026 When her girls, 6 and 8, aren’t in school, a mix of summer camps and family fills in the gaps. — Shay Castle, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026 Evans immediately fills in as Brock Purdy’s top pass-catching option, and more moves could come with Jauan Jennings also in free agency. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 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
  • That positioning informs the accompanying campaign, filmed in Miami by director Bardia Zeinali, photographed by Stuart Winecoff and styled by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 22 July 2026
  • Moving on to the housekeeping items, the organizer informs us of the presence of a documentary film crew on the grounds.
    — Nick H. Penniman, Rolling Stone, 15 July 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 historical data tells us that workplace promotions and outcomes have not been evenly distributed.
    — Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Etched onto each of the bands is a series of letters and numbers that, if it’s captured again, tells the next researcher where this bird has been.
    — Mack Baysinger Follow, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of tells
Verb
  • One homer cleared the last row of stands in that section and bounced off the concourse in front of a bar.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • The 1960s metal mobile bar stands in the kitchen, which also boasts clean, stainless-steel surfaces.
    — Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 14 July 2026
Definition of stands in
Verb
  • To combat this, Zoltan advises all women to keep a bottle of artificial tears handy.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 22 July 2026
  • Matveev advises new founders to build in stablecoins or AI, emphasizing product over hype.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of advises
Verb
  • Davis takes over from Mia Bays, the outgoing Director of the Filmmaking Fund, who has been in the role since October 2021.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 23 July 2026
  • Those qualities become even more valuable as AI takes over many routine activities that once consumed a professional's day.
    — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 2 July 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 25 Jul. 2026.

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