as in substituting
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
she will be standing in for the regular teacher for a week
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Recent Examples of standing in
And there’s nothing like the disorienting effect of standing in darkness in an unfamiliar place to quicken the senses and sharpen the ear.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Such an agreement would require battling — and even dismantling — an entrenched and incompetent bureaucracy to speed up economic reforms, and getting rid of old-school historic commanders and everyone else in the government, the Communist Party and the top military echelons standing in the way.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
America’s standing in the world is eroding by the day.
—John Whitehead, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Eventually, people could not resist returning to their lives, to routines more comfortable than standing in the streets with the sun glaring in your eyes, squinting up to check the position of snipers on a roof, or working with cramping fingers sewing your tenth mask of the night.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
When the nefarious Red Ribbon Army mounts a comeback, Piccolo and Gohan are the only fighters standing in its way.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
The four of us, at 4 in the morning, standing in the subway station.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
When that failed to stop her, Kennedy screamed at the sergeant standing in the car’s path.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated March 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
The only thing standing in the way of progress is the powerful plastics and fossil fuel lobbyists — hired by the same companies responsible for polluting our planet and bodies with plastic and its toxic chemicals.
—Shanna Swan, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Such an agreement would require battling — and even dismantling — an entrenched and incompetent bureaucracy to speed up economic reforms, and getting rid of old-school historic commanders and everyone else in the government, the Communist Party and the top military echelons standing in the way.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
America’s standing in the world is eroding by the day.
—John Whitehead, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Eventually, people could not resist returning to their lives, to routines more comfortable than standing in the streets with the sun glaring in your eyes, squinting up to check the position of snipers on a roof, or working with cramping fingers sewing your tenth mask of the night.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
When the nefarious Red Ribbon Army mounts a comeback, Piccolo and Gohan are the only fighters standing in its way.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
The four of us, at 4 in the morning, standing in the subway station.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
When that failed to stop her, Kennedy screamed at the sergeant standing in the car’s path.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated March 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
The only thing standing in the way of progress is the powerful plastics and fossil fuel lobbyists — hired by the same companies responsible for polluting our planet and bodies with plastic and its toxic chemicals.
—Shanna Swan, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for standing in
Verb
-
The resort implements its sustainability commitment in ways beyond just substituting plastic water bottles (with reusable ones made of sugarcane waste) and harvesting rainwater to flush toilets.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Consider introducing a habit of drinking plain water early, sticking to it, and avoiding substituting it with beverages that have added sugars.—
Joy Emeh,
Health,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On Saturday, conditions look mainly dry to start, with rain filling in by the afternoon hours.—
Matthew Villafane,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The whole neighborhood is compact and walkable, with patios, cafés, and seasonal events like Yorkville Murals filling in the gaps.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Jonathan Groff was the original star of a production that had many top-tier talents stepping in at different phases of the production’s elaborate run.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Robertson grounds both versions of Niall in a sad-eyed misery, with Bell stepping in and giving the character grace notes of humor that don’t always seem to fit the story.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Denver Mountain Parks will staff the welcome station at Echo Lake and manage the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area, taking over that role from the Arapaho National Forest.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Almost a year to the day, in another surprise move, Malone is taking over a blueblood program with six national titles, a record 21 appearances in the Final Four and alums including Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Vince Carter and Atlantic Coast Conference career scoring leader Tyler Hansbrough.—
Aaron Beard,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Standing in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standing%20in. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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