fill-in
noun
a person or thing that fills in, as a substitute, replacement, or insertion.
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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
Hired as the town’s fill-in sheriff—his predecessor having been found dead in his underwear, in the snow, holding a fly rod and an ice auger—Ulysses Richardson does his best to maintain discipline on the force.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
That timing drastically cuts down USC’s options for finding a fill-in opponent to open the season against at the Coliseum.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026
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
This one was a last-minute fill-in for a famous violinist who’d gone down with the flu.
From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead
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
Guy Mowbray: The exits of Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers have left a big gap to fill in Aston Villa's midfield.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Yet many companies have been waiting for the Treasury Department and IRS to fill in the blanks on the rules for contributions from employers and employees.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
Fishery inspectors relied on local pearling leaders and divers to fill in cartographic blanks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
So, basically, each of us will take turns saying ‘Did you hear that?’ and we’ll fill in the blank with either a truth or a lie.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
Maxwell noted that his work had been covered by knowledgeable fill-ins from out of state.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2025
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
McAvoy was one of three regulars on the blue line that the Bruins didn’t have, making the performance of fill-ins like rookie Lohrei even more impressive.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 3, 2023
Several Jaguars could be considered potential fill-ins to help during bye weeks, mainly Lawrence, Etienne, Robinson, Christian Kirk and Engram.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2022
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.
