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

Ismaila Sarr said a prayer as the Palace substitutes and coaching staff rushed on to the pitch, a delighted mob. —Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2026

Hart and Alvarez caution that devices should not become substitutes for engagement, emotional regulation or caregiving. —Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026

Switch up the green for never-boring variations—red, yellow, or panang curry pastes are all great substitutes. —Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 May 2026

No district wants to have substitutes instead of a credentialed teacher. —Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 26 May 2026

That shift is becoming increasingly visible inside sports marketing itself, where brands are positioning alcohol-free beverages less as substitutes and more as part of broader, more inclusive social experiences. —Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026

Read on to find out the best white pepper substitutes for your recipes. —Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2026

Counterfactual durability tests whether harm would occur anyway through unregulated substitutes. —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 15 May 2026

Sugar substitutes like stevia, monk fruit, honey, maple syrup, agave, and sugar alcohols have a lower impact on blood sugar and weight than regular sugar. —Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 13 May 2026

Verb

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

Ramps substitutes Because their season is so short, ramps can be hard to track down. —Kelly Vaughan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026