fill-in

1 of 2

noun

: someone or something that fills in

fill in

2 of 2

verb

filled in; filling in; fills in

transitive verb

1
: to enrich (something, such as a design) with detail
2
: to give necessary or recently acquired information to
I'll fill you in

intransitive verb

: to fill a vacancy usually temporarily
interns filled in for regular staffers

Examples of fill-in in a Sentence

Noun I'm just a fill-in, so I have no idea where office supplies are kept Verb my friend quickly filled me in on the portion of the movie that I had missed she's only filling in while the regular secretary is on vacation
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Steward had two interceptions in the preseason finale in Kansas City and the Bears stashed him on the practice squad, elevating him for Sunday’s game as a fill-in for Kyler Gordon and giving him playing time that Josh Blackwell had been getting. Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024 As the ceremony began, the fill-in DJs could not figure out how to work the equipment and get the music to play. Erin Clack, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
In a separate case, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court ruled that thousands of Pennsylvania mail-in ballots shouldn’t be counted if the date on the envelope wasn’t filled in correctly. Brian Bennett, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024 Duggan also announced Melia Howard as his new deputy mayor after Todd Bettison left the post to fill in as the Detroit Police Department's interim police chief. Dana Afana, Detroit Free Press, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fill-in 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1917, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1840, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fill-in was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near fill-in

Cite this Entry

“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fill-in. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fill in

verb
1
: to furnish with specified information
fill in an application
filled us in on the latest news
2
: to fill a vacancy usually temporarily : substitute
filled in during the emergency
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!