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
Relevance
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
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of substitutes
Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 14 Feb. 2026
When Edwards turned to his substitutes’ bench, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was the only senior attack-minded option at his disposal.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Among the recovered materials, dysprosium, ytterbium, and erbium are considered high-value due to strong demand and limited substitutes, while yttrium and gadolinium are widely used in electronics, lighting, and healthcare.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Seniors would benefit from consistent human presence rather than purely technological substitutes.
—Heather Madden, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Diacetyl’s use has been curtailed in many products, but the American Lung Association warns the chemical and substitutes may be present in e-cigarettes, potentially a vector for connecting vaping and popcorn lung.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
If not, the market would be expanded to include nearby substitutes, with the test repeated until a profitable price hike is achieved.
—Hal Singer, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
Material World is a weekly roundup of innovations and ideas within the materials sector, covering what’s changing in how fashion is made, scaled or engineered from emerging biomaterials and alternative leathers to sustainable substitutes and future-proof fibers.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 5 Feb. 2026
Coming on midway into the second half, a few substitutes ran with the baton against a softened opponent.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Charlton hit back through Miles Leaburn’s 57th-minute goal, but Marc Guiu swiftly replied and substitutes Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez put the gloss on the scoreline in stoppage time.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Target’s four-person meal costs less than $20, about the same as in 2024, but substitutes green beans and cream of mushroom soup for French bread and frozen corn — also not an apples-to-apples comparison.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
Milk, milk substitutes, plain bottled water, 100% juice, coffee, and drinks prepared at home are not considered soft drinks.
—Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 14 Feb. 2026
When Edwards turned to his substitutes’ bench, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was the only senior attack-minded option at his disposal.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Among the recovered materials, dysprosium, ytterbium, and erbium are considered high-value due to strong demand and limited substitutes, while yttrium and gadolinium are widely used in electronics, lighting, and healthcare.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Seniors would benefit from consistent human presence rather than purely technological substitutes.
—Heather Madden, Boston Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Diacetyl’s use has been curtailed in many products, but the American Lung Association warns the chemical and substitutes may be present in e-cigarettes, potentially a vector for connecting vaping and popcorn lung.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
If not, the market would be expanded to include nearby substitutes, with the test repeated until a profitable price hike is achieved.
—Hal Singer, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
Material World is a weekly roundup of innovations and ideas within the materials sector, covering what’s changing in how fashion is made, scaled or engineered from emerging biomaterials and alternative leathers to sustainable substitutes and future-proof fibers.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 5 Feb. 2026
Coming on midway into the second half, a few substitutes ran with the baton against a softened opponent.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
Executive interpretation increasingly substitutes for legislative intent.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Charlton hit back through Miles Leaburn’s 57th-minute goal, but Marc Guiu swiftly replied and substitutes Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez put the gloss on the scoreline in stoppage time.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Target’s four-person meal costs less than $20, about the same as in 2024, but substitutes green beans and cream of mushroom soup for French bread and frozen corn — also not an apples-to-apples comparison.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substitutes
Noun
-
The results point to a future where things like knee braces, exoskeletons, or even joint replacements could be tailored to an individual’s exact joint motion.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
-
As 2026 approaches, more executives are beginning to explore similar forms of digital assistance, not as replacements for human judgment, but as extensions of it.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Coined by nail artist Betina Goldstein, the micro-French style swaps a large swath of white for a barely-there flash of paint across the free edge of the nail.—
Laura Solla,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Most soccer-forward of the footwear assortment is their Samba, which swaps out the Three Stripes motif for Bape’s star logo.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Noah Eagle will fill in on the mic, while Ahmed Fareed spells Maria Taylor as NBC’s studio host.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Over time, the event has grown into the Camp Flog Gnaw Festival (its name spells Golf Wang in reverse), which sold out Dodger Stadium for two consecutive days in 2025.—
Matt Craig,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Moral certainty replaces moral reasoning.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
-
What can make buying silver online less safe That safety can break down, though, when urgency replaces due diligence.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Dorian Gray, the Victorian era’s proto-Clavicular, literally exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty—a move that the looksmaxxing community would seem to endorse wholeheartedly.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2026
-
The group exchanges little looks.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But their deployment, marauding the streets of American communities, operating with military posture and lethal force, supersedes that mission and strikes at the heart of constitutional governance.—
Larry Pino,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The practice of fascism supersedes its ideas, which is why people affected and diminished by it are not all that interested in a marketplace of ideas in which fascists have prime purchasing power.—
Aleksandar Hemon,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Mavericks trades - The Dallas Mavericks sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards as part of a massive deal including multiple players and draft picks.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Feb. 2026
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The five-unit Contractor’s Plaza has operated successfully as a commercial condo operation geared toward small contractors and trades businesses, and his Rotundo Developers LLC is headquartered there.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In addition to the services offered athletes during the Games, Team USA’s travel insurance carrier covers ongoing care to athletes who sustain injuries at the Olympics that require follow-up.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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The district now fully covers monthly premiums for its employees but has proposed charging employees a monthly rate, with a sliding scale based on their salaries.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Substitutes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substitutes. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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