as in substituting
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
the weekend anchor is subbing for the station's main anchor all this week she subbed for middle school teachers in the district as needed
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Recent Examples of subbing
Will is basically subbing Katie in for Sylvia, consulting her for help in combing through Terry’s Instagram to look for clues that something is going on with Jenna.
—
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
While subbing a lefty swinger for a righty against a right-handed pitcher may seem obvious, pulling a regular starting player for a hitter who has spent most of the season in the minor leagues was unexpected, to say the least.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Junior quarterback Brady Walden was near perfect in the latter, completing 9 of 11 passes for 155 yards and two TDs before subbing out of a 42-0 rout.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2025
In the victory over Eastern Washington, Danielson wasted no time subbing Moore in for Boomer after Boomer missed two kicks in the opening 20 minutes of the game.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 17 Sep. 2025
Plastic piping is subbing in for soldered copper.
—Frank Sorrentino, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
In the teams’ most recent meeting, Chiefs kicker Matthew Wright, subbing for an injured Butker, doinked a 31-yard field goal off the left upright and through for a 19-17 KC victory.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025
With the top offense and defense mostly playing against the second units — with many players subbing in and out of the latter — McCarthy was 7 for 7 with completions to four different receivers on the first drive, and completed three touchdown passes on a late red zone drill.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 20 Aug. 2025
Fermin will serve as the nine-hole hitter, subbing in for Díaz in the only variation from Friday’s lineup.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Aug. 2025
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
While subbing a lefty swinger for a righty against a right-handed pitcher may seem obvious, pulling a regular starting player for a hitter who has spent most of the season in the minor leagues was unexpected, to say the least.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Junior quarterback Brady Walden was near perfect in the latter, completing 9 of 11 passes for 155 yards and two TDs before subbing out of a 42-0 rout.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2025
In the victory over Eastern Washington, Danielson wasted no time subbing Moore in for Boomer after Boomer missed two kicks in the opening 20 minutes of the game.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 17 Sep. 2025
Plastic piping is subbing in for soldered copper.
—Frank Sorrentino, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
In the teams’ most recent meeting, Chiefs kicker Matthew Wright, subbing for an injured Butker, doinked a 31-yard field goal off the left upright and through for a 19-17 KC victory.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025
With the top offense and defense mostly playing against the second units — with many players subbing in and out of the latter — McCarthy was 7 for 7 with completions to four different receivers on the first drive, and completed three touchdown passes on a late red zone drill.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 20 Aug. 2025
Fermin will serve as the nine-hole hitter, subbing in for Díaz in the only variation from Friday’s lineup.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subbing
substituting
Verb
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Junior quarterback Leo Stalsberg — substituting for senior starter Cedric Tomes, who’s out with a broken finger — completed 2 of 10 pass attempts for 25 yards.—
Tris Wykes,
Twin Cities,
27 Sep. 2025
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On the technical side of things, this jacket places warm fleece in just the right spots to keep you warm, substituting in lighter material on the sides, sleeves, and lower torso to allow room to breathe.—
Alice Bennett,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subbing. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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