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fill-in

[fil-in]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a person or thing that fills in, as a substitute, replacement, or insertion.
The company used a fill-in for workers on vacation.
a brief, informative summary; a rundown.

fill in

verb

(tr) to complete (a form, drawing, etc)
(intr) to act as a substitute
a girl is filling in while the typist is away
(tr) to put material into (a hole or cavity), esp so as to make it level with a surface
informal��(tr) to inform with facts or news
slang��(tr) to attack and injure severely

noun

a substitute
informal��a briefing to complete one's understanding

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Word History and Origins

Origin of fill-in¹

First recorded in 1915–20; noun use of verb phrase fill in

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Idioms and Phrases

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 .

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 .

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Thus, with a Wednesday rubber match against the Padres looming, the Dodgers decided to reassign Casparius from multi-inning reliever to their latest fill-in starter.

From

Clarkson came back for a couple of days, but has been MIA since March 6 while an ever-changing cast of fill-in hosts has taken over her show.

From

Dutifully, fill-in Max Mitchell checked the box with a false start just before the two-minute warning.

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Patrick Mahomes had 306 yards passing and a touchdown for Kansas City, while fill-in kicker Matt Wright made four field goals.

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Stewart made his frustration clear but pivoted on a dime, quickly moving on to an interview with Arizona Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, which the governor noted was a fill-in gig.

From

fillet weld filling

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