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.
Cerium, which is often used as a stand-in for plutonium, condensed in a similar manner to uranium.
From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026
The 36-year-old stand-in boss was unable to completely solve the goalscoring issues that plagued their season.
From BBC • May 25, 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
“So, what does a stand-in do?” asked Zachary.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
