a substitute for a motion-picture star during the preparation of lighting, cameras, etc., or in dangerous scenes.
any substitute.
to act as a substitute
to be of benefit or advantage to someone
a person or thing that serves as a substitute
( as modifier )
a stand-in teacher
a person who substitutes for an actor during intervals of waiting or in dangerous stunts
First recorded in 1930–35; noun use of verb phrase stand in
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Iliffe-Moon often finds herself in meetings alongside engineers and product managers, acting as a stand-in for the everyday, often cynical consumer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Cerium, which is often used as a stand-in for plutonium, condensed in a similar manner to uranium.
From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026
Romero explains how the Supreme Court is essentially treating Callais “as a stand-in for principles that the justices either did not discuss in that case or flat-out claimed to reject.”
From Slate • May 21, 2026
And on Tuesday all eyes were certainly on whether Vance could repeat Rubio's relaxed performance as a stand-in for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
He probably made it for Sims, as a stand-in for chocolates or a date to the movies.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
