1
as in exchanging
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
Relevance
2
as in covering
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
substituting for the talk show host while she is on vacation
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in replacing
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of substituting
William wrote Temple out of his will, substituting his granddaughter.
—
Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
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
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
Leucovorin, or folinic acid, can counteract those effects by substituting for folate and allowing the body’s folate processes to continue functioning in the presence of methotrexate.
—Alice Park, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Emotivism is substituting for moral judgment on politics.
—Stephen Kent, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
As the dish spread, variations began to pop up with some cooks substituting different kinds of beef, adding carrots for extra sweetness, or adapting it to a soup, like this recipe.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Taking the question further, and assuming the Fed capable of the magic that Democrats, Republicans and even libertarians ascribe to it, won’t private capital retreat overcome the Fed substituting itself for the marketplace in the first place?
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
When making the switch to a plant-forward diet, Moon advised easing into it with small changes such as adding leafy greens to smoothies, using tofu in a grain bowl, and substituting animal fats for olive oil.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 27 Aug. 2025
Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
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
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
Leucovorin, or folinic acid, can counteract those effects by substituting for folate and allowing the body’s folate processes to continue functioning in the presence of methotrexate.
—Alice Park, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Emotivism is substituting for moral judgment on politics.
—Stephen Kent, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
As the dish spread, variations began to pop up with some cooks substituting different kinds of beef, adding carrots for extra sweetness, or adapting it to a soup, like this recipe.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Taking the question further, and assuming the Fed capable of the magic that Democrats, Republicans and even libertarians ascribe to it, won’t private capital retreat overcome the Fed substituting itself for the marketplace in the first place?
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
When making the switch to a plant-forward diet, Moon advised easing into it with small changes such as adding leafy greens to smoothies, using tofu in a grain bowl, and substituting animal fats for olive oil.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substituting
Verb
-
Officials confirm that Taiwanese engineers and military planners are now in virtual working groups with Polish, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian counterparts, exchanging operational lessons in EW, C-UAS, and artillery fire direction.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Oct. 2025
-
In the immediate aftermath, rumors of a fallout between the two surfaced, fueled by the duo exchanging words on social media and Raisa reportedly unfollowing Gomez on Instagram.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Gibson recalls how the original idea was to create a pre-colonial film or series first, covering different narratives about largely obscure figures from across Africa.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Jacoby Easter led the team with 47 rushing yards, while Portley finished with three touchdowns on just three carries covering nine yards.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In 1966, Lodge received a call from Thomas with an offer to join The Moody Blues as their bass guitarist, replacing a departing Denny Laine.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
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On Thursday, Sturm even shifted Mittelstadt to left wing, replacing him with Pavel Zacha.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns are swapping starting cornerbacks.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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But swapping fat for sugar and empty carbs is also problematic, and it has been complicated to untangle the effects of ever-changing dietary patterns.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Try spelling the word customer backward.—
Neil Senturia,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
-
In Pennsylvania, lawmakers have still not broken out of the impasse, spelling financial distress for schools and counties that rely particularly heavily on state funding.—
Isabella Volmert,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Federal prosecutors then issued a superseding indictment one year later charging them with 27 counts.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
22 Sep. 2025
-
This is despite Israeli actions long superseding the targeting of Hamas.—
Esther Brito Ruiz,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Losing or changing jobs can also cause households that were previously ineligible to qualify for assistance.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
9 Oct. 2025
-
If there’s even a small chance that this audacious company—or its competitors—can succeed in its goal, the implications would be nothing less than world-changing.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By subbing in Washington-Los Angeles, the league is providing Fox with a far stronger option now that Burrow is in recovery mode.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Substituting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substituting. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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