fill in for
phrasal verb.to do someone else's work for a short time because they are away or sick.
phrasal verb.to act as a temporary substitute for someone; typically used in professional or social contexts to denote a short-term replacement.
“Can you fill in for me while I'm at the doctor?”
“The assistant manager had to fill in for the director during her three-week maternity leave.”
“Despite having little experience in logistics, Sarah was asked to fill in for the department head during the emergency summit.”
usually followed by a person; implies the substitution is temporary.
contrast with 'stand in for' (very similar) and 'replace' (which often implies a permanent change); 'fill in' without 'for' can also mean to complete a form.
you fill in for a person, not for a task or a position; you 'fill' a position but 'fill in for' a colleague.
- cover for
- stand in for
- substitute for
- Particles
- in for
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- fill + in + for + object