fill-in
noun
a person or thing that fills in, as a substitute, replacement, or insertion.
fill-in
American
[fil-in]
/ ˈfɪlˌɪn /
noun
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fill-ins
plural
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a person or thing that fills in, as a substitute, replacement, or insertion.
The company used a fill-in for workers on vacation.
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a brief, informative summary; a rundown.
fill in
British
verb
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(tr) to complete (a form, drawing, etc)
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(intr) to act as a substitute
a girl is filling in while the typist is away
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(tr) to put material into (a hole or cavity), esp so as to make it level with a surface
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informal (tr) to inform with facts or news
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slang (tr) to attack and injure severely
noun
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a substitute
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informal a briefing to complete one's understanding
fill in
Idioms
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Complete something, especially by supplying more information or detail. For example, Be sure to fill in your salary history . It is also put as fill in the blanks , as in We'll rely on Mary to fill in the blanks . Yet another related usage is fill someone in , as in I couldn't attend, so will you fill me in? The first term dates from the mid-1800s; the others from the first half of the 1900s. Also see fill out .
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Also, fill in for . Take someone's place, substitute for. For example, The understudy had to fill in at the last minute , or I can't come but my wife will fill in for me . Also see fill someone's shoes .
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fill-in
First recorded in 1915–20; noun use of verb phrase fill in
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In this entertaining action film, the actor plays a Midwestern town’s fill-in lawman, who faces an unexpected threat from the East.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
He will also serve as a lead correspondent for “48 Hours,” contribute to “60 Minutes,” and act as a fill-in anchor for CBS’s flagship broadcasts, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025
Cummins may return for the second Test, and for now Scott Boland is a capable fill-in with an outstanding record in Australia.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2025
She also was a frequent fill-in for Gayle King on the weekday morning program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2025
He was a kind of fill-in speaker, a holy handyman.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
Watt to fill in alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
And what positions should they fill in the lineup?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
People are being encouraged to report any sightings of barn owls across Northern Ireland, particularly in the west, to help fill in gaps in the records and even help protect important breeding areas.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
A remarkably rare fossil studied by University of Oklahoma paleontologists is now helping fill in part of that missing picture.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Please fill in your dress-code violation. These need to be signed and returned to your homeroom teachers tomorrow.”
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
Maxwell noted that his work had been covered by knowledgeable fill-ins from out of state.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2025
Country star Gill and Frey’s 31-year-old son Deacon have also served as fill-ins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2025
She is among 24 minor league umpires assigned full-time as fill-ins at big league spring training.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2024
In one sense, Stewart is the latest in a line of celebrity fill-ins who have hosted “The Daily Show” since Trevor Noah left in December 2022.
From New York Times ● Feb. 13, 2024
The conga drum player was especially wild, playing insane fill-ins all over the place.
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
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.
