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
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Recent Examples of fill-in
Chris Willman, Variety, 18 May 2025
When calling Matton out of the blue last summer, Donald was on the hunt for a fill-in at the following week’s BMW International Open in Germany.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 19 May 2025
After filling in at a local station, she's hired on full-time as the (very early) morning weather reporter after her predecessor leaves for another gig.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Noun
This marks the second sacking of a very high-profile fill-in drummer in short order, following Josh Freese having just been fired as Foo Fighters’ drummer, although Freese’s tenure with that group was measured in months and not the decades that Starkey spent filling Keith Moon’s shoes.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 18 May 2025
When calling Matton out of the blue last summer, Donald was on the hunt for a fill-in at the following week’s BMW International Open in Germany.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Verb
Some of the names that have filled in at GMFB include Manti Te’o, Cody Kessler, D’Marco Farr, Brock Vereen, Derwin James Jr., Camryn Bynum, Isaac Rochell, Laiatu Latu, Isaiah Stanback, Jason Cabinda, Justin Pugh, Nick Cross, Logan Ryan, Will Blackmon, Willie Colon, among many others.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 19 May 2025
After filling in at a local station, she's hired on full-time as the (very early) morning weather reporter after her predecessor leaves for another gig.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fill-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fill-in
Noun
-
The information provided here is not legal advice and does not purport to be a substitute for advice of counsel on any specific matter.—
Jonathan Carson,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
The time allocated could not be a substitute for instructional time.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Attendees had been informed of the location just 48 hours in advance.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
31 May 2025
-
According to a source with knowledge of the matter, who, like all in this article, wishes to remain anonymous to protect relations, Earps informed Wiegman of her decision to retire in April, but the England boss asked her to reconsider.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
People stand in front of an Apple store in Beijing, China, on April 9, 2025.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
23 May 2025
-
Where do the two sides stand in contract discussions?—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
But the reality is that there is no replacement for Pulisic.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
In addition to its larger screen, this adds to the longevity and usefulness of this system as a desktop replacement.—
Matthew Buzzi,
PC Magazine,
21 May 2025
Verb
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In 2024, a highly intoxicated passenger on an All Nippon Airways flight from Tokyo to Seattle reportedly bit a flight attendant in the arm an hour after takeoff, the Japanese airline told The Japan Times.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
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Wegner told The Star that the public health center provided information to the state that the school had received regarding the diagnoses of teachers and staff.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 May 2025
Verb
-
When the company is doing badly, the first question is whether the new CEO can turn things around (Kelly Ortberg taking over from Dave Calhoun at Boeing).—
Joe Moglia,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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Denali will take over the operations of the farm’s two facilities — the 75-acre facility in Huntersville and a 162-acre site in Advance, near Greensboro and Winston-Salem.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
Master Lock Portable Small Lock Box $24 $18 at Amazon Not every hotel room has a safe, and this portable lock box is a solid backup.—
Aly Walansky,
Travel + Leisure,
1 June 2025
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Having a backup, like a satellite phone with two-way communications capabilities, is better.—
Amanda Loudin,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Duties include analyzing client requests, advising on strategy and managing a team of professionals.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2025
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First, start with shattering functional silos, the researchers advise.—
Joe McKendrick,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fill-in. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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