stand-in
noun
a substitute for a motion-picture star during the preparation of lighting, cameras, etc., or in dangerous scenes.
stand-in
American
[stand-in]
/ ˈstændˌɪn /
noun
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a substitute for a motion-picture star during the preparation of lighting, cameras, etc., or in dangerous scenes.
-
any substitute.
stand in
British
verb
-
to act as a substitute
-
to be of benefit or advantage to someone
noun
-
-
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
Etymology
Origin of stand-in
First recorded in 1930–35; noun use of verb phrase stand 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:
“It’s been one thing after the other: The pandemic, the strikes and then it was the fires,” said Wood, who has worked as a stand-in for Eva Longoria and Salma Hayek.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
The tourists are hampered by Babar's hand injury, and stand-in captain Salman said he would have batted had he won the toss.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
When James Duval, a veteran of six Araki projects, often as the director’s stand-in, arrives on-screen it feels like an applause break for fans to cheer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
They serve as a stand-in for Porter himself, who, though absent in the flesh, nevertheless is the central personage around which these myriad dynamics revolve.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Although I had no doubts about the young man, I asked my friend and legal adviser George Bizos to be a stand-in for me.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Guests check in at a designated host stand in the museum’s main lobby and are then whisked to a separate elevator for Skywalker Grill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Top AI executives say they want to slow the breakneck pace of artificial intelligence development, but competition, US government reluctance and geopolitical factors stand in the way.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
Sept. 11 was an event of its time and deserves to stand in history, but not entirely outside of context.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Twenty years ago, Dambrauskas looked out over the pitch at Old Trafford during one of his job interviews, dreaming that one day he would stand in one of the dugouts.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
The people of Isfahan ventured to the center of the strange neighborhood to stand in line, before the famed bakery of Akh Tamar, just for six of his cream puffs.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
