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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of substituting
The court found the authority had exceeded its authority by substituting its view of the public interest for that of the state Legislature.
—
Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
Now, if oil prices remain elevated, those same firms will face fresh cost pressures and few, or no, options for substituting oil.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026
For an extra kick, try substituting spicy Italian sausage for the mild.
—Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Starting him was a bold call, but substituting him after just 17 minutes will inevitably feel like the ultimate betrayal for the player involved.
—Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Researchers avoided contaminating the samples with other plastics by substituting standard tools with those made of aluminum, cotton and other non-plastic material, the release noted.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
These releases did not grant full freedom but rather are a precautionary measure substituting imprisonment.
—ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
However, substituting flesh-and-blood animals with those made of pixels seems to have created a canvas for unfettered abuse.
—Cynthia Chris, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026
Fennell has tossed all of that out, substituting her own unimaginative vision, plus a bunch of crappy dresses.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
Now, if oil prices remain elevated, those same firms will face fresh cost pressures and few, or no, options for substituting oil.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026
For an extra kick, try substituting spicy Italian sausage for the mild.
—Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Starting him was a bold call, but substituting him after just 17 minutes will inevitably feel like the ultimate betrayal for the player involved.
—Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Researchers avoided contaminating the samples with other plastics by substituting standard tools with those made of aluminum, cotton and other non-plastic material, the release noted.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
These releases did not grant full freedom but rather are a precautionary measure substituting imprisonment.
—ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
However, substituting flesh-and-blood animals with those made of pixels seems to have created a canvas for unfettered abuse.
—Cynthia Chris, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026
Fennell has tossed all of that out, substituting her own unimaginative vision, plus a bunch of crappy dresses.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substituting
Verb
-
Throughout the day, attendees moved from table to table, collecting information, exchanging contact details and building networks.—
J.M. Banks
March 31,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
According to investigators, Ghazali was also armed with a rifle and killed himself after exchanging gunfire with the synagogue's security guards.—
Jonah Kaplan,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Angela Dugalić got to feast in the post, always enjoying a size advantage with the biggest player covering Betts, scoring 9 points and adding five rebounds and four assists.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Two officers were seen covering the object with a canopy.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With Atkins having graduated early to get a jump on his football career at Miami of Ohio, Fecht is essentially replacing him now on the baseball team as well.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
If capital is taxed more and labor less, replacing people with AI is no longer the cheapest path, and using AI to augment human workers rather than replace them becomes a more attractive option.—
Ravi Kumar S,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hayes carried the name and number of Dalton Knecht on his chest, a last-minute switch from originally swapping his jersey with Jarred Vanderbilt.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The Mouse House has also tied with the UK’s ITV and Germany’s ZDF, the former a content-swapping pact.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Senate failed to take up legislation addressing the state's land conservation program, likely spelling the end of the popular Knowles-Nelson program after nearly four decades.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The future as glaciers retreat Future climate projections combined with sophisticated glacier models indicate that glaciers will cumulatively retreat by 26% to 41% by 2100, spelling the loss of 49% to 83% of all glaciers globally.—
Dan McGrath,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The approach has nothing to do with maximizing screentime or superseding her actual director, but modulating her performance within a broader context.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The Iran war, in other words, seems to be superseding earlier grievances and instead uniting disparate extremist forces against the United States.—
Jacob Ware,
Twin Cities,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One of the most important concepts in cosmology is redshift, which doesn’t just come from changing your gravitational field or the relative motion of the source and observer, but from the expanding Universe as well.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Apr. 2026
-
That would involve changing some state laws, persuading housing lenders to be more accommodating and overcoming resistance from construction unions.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Deploying some zone defense, Denver scraped by for five minutes, outscoring the Warriors by two before subbing Jokic and Watson back in together.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Good morning, features editor Matt Heimer here, subbing for Alexei.—
Matthew Heimer,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Substituting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substituting. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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