substitute
noun
a person or thing acting or serving in place of another.
was substituting
-
past progressiveof substitute.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Back in 2005, when Roberts rhapsodized about Indiana farmland and an endless horizon punctuated only by silos and barns, he was substituting a humble, real-life Midwest upbringing for his own.
From Slate ● May 7, 2026
In November, when she was substituting in a fourth-grade class and checking kids’ double-digit multiplication work, a boy told her she didn’t have to wear her mask.
From New York Times ● Apr. 5, 2023
Copley was substituting for Vitek Vanecek, who suffered an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s overtime win at Pittsburgh.
From Fox News ● Feb. 3, 2022
She blamed that on the fact that the teacher she was substituting for had been hobbled by a leg cast.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 22, 2021
Finally in desperation he appealed to his chief competitor in the North Country, the Utica & Black River, which rapidly was substituting steel for iron upon its main line.
From The Story of the Rome, Watertown, and Ogdensburg RailRoad by Edward Hungerford
