Synonyms of substitutes

substitutes 1 of 2

noun

plural of substitute

as in replacements

a person or thing that takes the place of another

you'll be getting a substitute until your regular teacher is feeling better

if you like, you can use nuts as a substitute for coconut in that recipe

Synonyms & Similar Words

• replacements
• backups
• surrogates
• assistants
• subs
• reserves
• proxies
• covers
• stand-ins
• reliefs
• alternates
• fill-ins
• pinch hitters
• deputies
• designated hitters
• delegates
• locum tenentes
• agents
• makeshifts
• apologies
• seconds
• factors
• representatives
• understudies
• successors
• assignees
• commissaries
• attorneys
• reps
• relievers
• stopgaps
• envoys
• procurators
• superseders

substitutes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of substitute

1

as in swaps

to give up (something) and take something else in return

can I substitute coleslaw for potato salad if I order the chicken plate?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• swaps
• exchanges
• trades
• changes
• replaces
• switches
• shifts
• commutes
• supersedes
• interchanges
• displaces
• yields
• surrenders
• cedes
• reciprocates
• hands over

2

as in spells

to serve as a replacement usually for a time only

substituting for the talk show host while she is on vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spells
• subs
• covers
• stands in
• fills in
• takes over
• steps in
• pinch-hits
• understudies
• relieves
• doubles (as)

3

as in replaces

to take the place of

"John Doe," "Jane Doe," and "Baby Doe" substituted the real names of the parties involved to preserve their privacy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• replaces
• supersedes
• supplants
• relieves
• displants
• displaces
• usurps
• cuts out
• preempts

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of substitutes

Noun

In six states, Medicare beneficiaries must get preapproval for a few treatments that CMS considers to have little clinical benefit and to be susceptible to fraud or waste, including skin substitutes and knee arthroscopy for arthritis. — Stephanie Armour, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026

Individual households may find ways to drive less when gas prices are high, for example, but there’s fewer immediate substitutes for networks that rely on diesel to help produce and haul goods worldwide. — Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026

Somehow, this all dovetails with the fact that Davis and Friend were themselves substitutes for Greta Lee and Andrew Scott, who were cast as the leads when the film was announced in 2024. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

Only Anthropic knows for sure how often users rely on Claude to generate substitutes for musicians’ songs, the lawsuit said. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026

Europe Is Building Two Digital Money Models The digital euro and EURR should not necessarily be viewed as direct substitutes. — Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Venomous boos greeted the announcement of his name among the Chelsea substitutes ahead of kick-off. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Importantly, these technologies aren't necessarily substitutes for one another. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026

Here are our Test Kitchen substitutes for heavy cream, including dairy-free options. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2026

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

Another way to say this is that, in place of the extensive self-announcements Plato allows his characters, Rochester substitutes his own summary judgements, his sarcastic imitations. — Literary Hub, 6 July 2026

Finally, because Helms-Burton gave presidents power to block these suits, the majority concluded that this mechanism substitutes for the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act rather than coexisting with it. — Manuel A. Gómez, The Conversation, 25 June 2026

No program substitutes for that. — Desmon Yancy, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026

It is offered as rationale for below-market compensation, as though mission alignment is a form of currency that substitutes for pay. — Charles Stanton, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026

The brand partially substitutes sugar with stevia and erythritol. — Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026

The Landmark leans into organic design with decorative wood trim work and a palette of whites, browns and soft beige, while the Marisol substitutes the traditional colors of Mediterranean design for modern white, soft gray and taupe. — Pulte Homes, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026