Thesaurus results for 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

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substitutes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of substitute

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?

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as in spells

to serve as a replacement usually for a time only substituting for the talk show host while she is on vacation

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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

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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 substitutes

Noun

His Five Forces framework—competitive rivalry, new entrants, substitutes, buyer power and supplier power—became the definitive lens for assessing whether an industry is worth entering. —

Peter Su, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026 All four goals in this game have come from players who entered as substitutes. —

Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 June 2026 Pochettino made two substitutes with 10 minutes to go in the match to send on some fresh legs as the USA tried to kill off the game. —

David Close, CNN Money, 19 June 2026 Both substitutes immediately altered the tempo, and both played roles in multiple goals while Bosnia went down to 10 men. —

ABC News, 18 June 2026 Jordan Teze had his hands on his head, while Johan Bakayoko, who was watching from the substitutes’ bench, was left speechless. —

Stuart James, New York Times, 16 June 2026 In some cases, there may be substitutes that fit within the performance standard required for your car, but don't just put in a cheaper or more readily available oil without checking. —

Camila Domonoske, NPR, 16 June 2026 The mother-daughter owners of an Orlando preschool are licensed for 28 children but now enroll only 23 because of an ongoing teacher shortage that forces them to rely on substitutes, some hired through a new Uber-like app. —

Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2026 As Reyna wheeled away in celebration, hands covering his ears, he was mobbed by teammates, substitutes and even Pochettino, who raced across the field to join in the moment. —

James Robson, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026

Verb

No program substitutes for that. —

Desmon Yancy, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026 But no technology substitutes for the human infrastructure, partnerships, and political will that made the old system work. —

Stephanie Psaki, The Atlantic, 22 May 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 But the manner in which substitutes Morgan Gibbs-White, Neco Williams, Nicolas Dominguez and two-goal Callum Hudson-Odoi transformed the tie had a sobering effect on the Wrexham hierarchy. —

Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 May 2026 Agreed, but this bill substitutes the long, painstaking and complex work of fixing California’s troubled insurance market with finger-pointing and posturing. —

Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 12 Apr. 2026 Rosenson said that if CRISPR is a scissor that cuts both strands of DNA, base editing is an eraser that substitutes one chemical letter, or base, in a single strand of DNA. —

David Cox, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for substitutes

Noun

Battery pack replacements typically range from $5,000 to $20,000.

— Emily Mercer, USA Today, 22 June 2026
In their place, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente somewhat bafflingly lined up Barcelona duo Ferrán Torres and Gavi as their replacements.

— Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 21 June 2026