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

Some of it starts with the social media substitutes and the smartphones that feel comfortable in our hands the way books used to feel. — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026

These systems are the most futuristic pieces of the renovation, but Korem presents them as additions to a much larger recovery program—not substitutes for foundational work. — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026

That's one reason sugar substitutes like aspartame have become so popular. — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026

These non-alcoholic mocktail recipes rebuild familiar favorites with fruit, herbs and zero-proof substitutes. — Ryan Brennan august 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 Aug. 2026

Public bond markets, banks, insurance balance sheets, and private capital are not substitutes in that system. — Jim Zelter, Fortune, 31 July 2026

Rural communities suffer particularly, with fewer rural hospitals and substitutes available. — Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Left medically treated, but isolated and lonely, children turn to television shows or video games as substitutes for human connection. — Anna Tsioulias, STAT, 29 July 2026

Instead, Jonas, Mila Kunis, Scott Foley, and Pamela Adlon will be filling in as substitutes. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 27 July 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