stand in 1 of 2

verb

Definition of stand innext
as in to substitute
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only she will be standing in for the regular teacher for a week

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

stand-in

2 of 2

noun

ˈstand-ˌin How to pronounce stand-in (audio)
as in substitute
a person or thing that takes the place of another hired him at the last minute as a stand-in for the person who quit

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 stand in
Verb
Tagle was designated at the last minute to stand in for Leo at Wednesday's Mass to close out a conference on family ministry. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 This stands in sharp contrast to their roles in the 1991 Gulf War coalition, the post-2014 campaign against ISIS, the maritime coalition against the Houthis in the Red Sea in 2023–24, and the diplomacy that produced the 2015 nuclear deal. — Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
In order to make this work, the production first attempted a number of test drops with crew and stand-ins, without Howell. — Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026 Yet, over time these credentials became stand-ins for proving identity and online verification has exacerbated the problem. — Caryn Seidman Becker, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stand in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stand in
  1. substitute
  2. replacement
  3. fill in
  4. step in
  5. take over
Verb
  • Suarez scored his 14th and 15th goals before he was substituted off in the 61st minute.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
  • So might be Haaland, who asked to be substituted midway through the second half of Norway's final Nations League game, but that might have been because of fatigue.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of substitute
Noun
  • That includes construction, improvement, maintenance, repair and replacement of streets and sidewalks, as well as drainage, sewers and other related infrastructure.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The infrastructure work to create the tunnel, including road and drainage replacement, life safety systems and adding the structural elements, does not allow for separate lane closures, according to project information.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of replacement
Verb
  • Bruns has tattooed himself with PhotoTat, using the inks to fill in fish-scale designs on his legs.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The Florida product has started every game this season filling in for Tyler Biadasz.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of fill in
Verb
  • When Andrew Dismukes’ character repeatedly pressures his dad to try the titular dish, Gillis steps in to put an end to the interrogation.
    — Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • However, the Georgia program remains an important step in establishing how the technology will work within real railway operations.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of step in
Verb
  • Two other pilots who happened to be traveling on the flight then took over and were able to safely land the plane at the airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • After Beidelman Furniture closed its doors in April, Ellsworth Partners took over the building where the 165-year-old furniture store sat at the corner of Jackson Avenue and Washington Street.
    — Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of take over

Browse Nearby Words

stand for
stand in
stand-in
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stand in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand%20in. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of syncretic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
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
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All