fills in

verb

present tense third-person singular of fill in
1
as in informs
to give information to my friend quickly filled me in on the portion of the movie that I had missed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in substitutes
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only she's only filling in while the regular secretary is on vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fills in Schmidt then fills in the blanks. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026 When her girls, 6 and 8, aren’t in school, a mix of summer camps and family fills in the gaps. — Shay Castle, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026 The silver shade covers the shoe’s panels, while black fills in the liner, midsole and branding. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 24 May 2026 There, Sam unleashes reams upon reams of monologues about their past at a teary Mary, who fills in a few gaps. — Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2026 Use your phone to take a picture of that grocery run or dinner out, and the app fills in the price, category, labels and notes for you. — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 1 July 2026 Now the same will be true for everyone who fills in the remainder of the coaching staff, both for the duration of this season and in the years to come. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026 As the day progresses, the community fills in naturally. — Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026 Evans immediately fills in as Brock Purdy’s top pass-catching option, and more moves could come with Jauan Jennings also in free agency. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fills in
  1. informs
  2. substitutes
  3. tells
  4. stands in
  5. advises
  6. takes over
  7. briefs
Verb
  • Trump views it in zero-sum terms, as a thing the strong seize from the weak—a view that informs his constant desire to steal natural resources from smaller countries.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • This was my strategy throughout the book and informs my citational practices as well.
    — Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 8 July 2026
Definition of informs
Verb
  • Another way to say this is that, in place of the extensive self-announcements Plato allows his characters, Rochester substitutes his own summary judgements, his sarcastic imitations.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • Finally, because Helms-Burton gave presidents power to block these suits, the majority concluded that this mechanism substitutes for the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act rather than coexisting with it.
    — Manuel A. Gómez, The Conversation, 25 June 2026
Definition of substitutes
Verb
  • Knowing that a visitor asked three questions about security, spent time on your enterprise plan and then left without booking a demo tells you everything about what to do next.
    — Suyash Karn, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • The film, directed by award-winning filmmaker Bao Nguyen, in part tells the story of how CEO Matt Mullenweg founded what became Automattic, a company rooted in the philosophy of open-source software.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 8 July 2026
Definition of tells
Verb
  • Yet 37 years later that is the precise description of what stands in this room tonight.
    — Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Even if Morocco may be the only surviving CAF squad to have a realistic shot at continuing on through mid-July, the conference’s success stands in stark contrast to the state of the Asian game.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of stands in
Verb
  • To minimize risks during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) advises incorporating frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026
  • To minimize risks during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) advises incorporating frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of advises
Verb
  • Those qualities become even more valuable as AI takes over many routine activities that once consumed a professional's day.
    — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • The Fourth of July takes over the area this weekend with the 60th Annual Palisades Parade, fireworks on and off the National Mall and festive celebrations across the city.
    — Fritz Hahn, Washington Post, 2 July 2026
Definition of takes over
Verb
  • The Navy regularly briefs Courtney on classified matters in his position as ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Seapower subcommittee, which oversees the country’s top defense priority, the Columba ballistic missile submarines built by Electric Boat in Groton.
    — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 18 Jan. 2026
  • The trailer immediately briefs fans that season 10 is going to be an emotional rollercoaster.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
Definition of briefs

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fills
fills in
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Cite this Entry

“Fills in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fills%20in. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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