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
Grisham’s fill-in has also been putting up strong numbers. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025 By May 17, 2016, Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose joined AC/DC as a fill-in vocalist for two dozen shows, a move that shocked many and thrilled others. Katherine Turman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
Palace lack cover at centre-back, hence Lerma being asked to fill in. Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 Each burial required breaking the stone floor, placing the tiny remains underneath, and then filling in the hole with crushed limestone. ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fill-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fill-in. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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
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