as in substitute
a person or thing that takes the place of another
I'm just a fill-in, so I have no idea where office supplies are kept
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to inform
to give information to
my friend quickly filled me in on the portion of the movie that I had missed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to substitute
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
she's only filling in while the regular secretary is on vacation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of fill-in
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
Last week the former Skid Row singer was announced as the fill-in frontman for Twisted Sister‘s upcoming 50th anniversary tour after Dee Snider withdrew due to health concerns.
—Gary Graff, Billboard, 12 Mar. 2026
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Fech, a Democrat, was filling in on Tuesday for board member Michael Brown.
—Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Noun
Ware was quiet as the Heat’s fill-in starting center, recording seven points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field and 0-of-6 shooting on threes, eight rebounds, one assist and one block in 28 minutes.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
Last week the former Skid Row singer was announced as the fill-in frontman for Twisted Sister‘s upcoming 50th anniversary tour after Dee Snider withdrew due to health concerns.
—Gary Graff, Billboard, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
Brown has said the natural order should be Brunson first, Towns second, and everyone else filling in around them.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Fech, a Democrat, was filling in on Tuesday for board member Michael Brown.
—Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fill-in
Noun
-
The Caitlin Clark-effect was not a myth, and there is no substitute for an organic creation that can consistently bust 3-pointers from 30 feet.—
Mac Engel
March 31,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Messi went in as a halftime substitute in the 2-1 victory over Mauritania on March 27, a result against an inexperienced opponent that did not sit well with Scaloni.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Its founding principles—informed by an environmentally-conscious ethos and values which ‘protect the islands, support local communities, and do business in a…fair and future-focused way,’ says Dixon—mirrored those at Nikoi, and still hold strong today.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
These experiences eventually informed the vision behind The Tagline Group.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The machine stood in its own room, looking stark and alone.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The resort stands in a prime oceanfront position on the southern edge of pretty San José del Cabo, just a 20 minutes’ drive from Los Cabos International Airport and 5 minutes from the artsy town center itself.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The 24-year-old right-hander made his major league debut as a late replacement for right-hander Ryan Johnson, who fell ill, and had to bob and weave through the early innings.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
6 Apr. 2026
-
But in most cities wholesale replacement is logistically impossible.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Bill Brown, Paragon Star’s chief operating officer, said at the time of the event, his group had been told the project was just a couple of weeks from being finished.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
6 Apr. 2026
-
During the chase, an officer told Toledo to show his hands.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Part of the company’s dramatic turnaround since new ownership took over in 2019 has been to allow individual stores to tailor the shopping experience and displays to their local markets, rather than corporate’s cookie-cutter mandates, according to reporting by ModernRetail.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That's definitely not an ideal situation for a coach who rose to prominence in the NCAA, and many feel that taking over at UNC could be the smart move to further his legacy as a coach.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Shamet was fouled on the play and missed the and-one free throw, but second-year backup big man Ariel Hukporti grabbed the offensive rebound to create a second shot opportunity.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The former Bronco managed just 90 carries in his three years as he was plagued by injuries and served as a backup to Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Murray Rothbard, a libertarian economist who advised Buchanan, had articulated a similar imperative.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The city posted a warning on the door advising people not to enter the building due to safety concerns.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fill-in. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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