stand-in
Americannoun
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a substitute for a motion-picture star during the preparation of lighting, cameras, etc., or in dangerous scenes.
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any substitute.
verb
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to act as a substitute
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to be of benefit or advantage to someone
noun
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a person or thing that serves as a substitute
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( as modifier )
a stand-in teacher
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a person who substitutes for an actor during intervals of waiting or in dangerous stunts
Etymology
Origin of stand-in
First recorded in 1930–35; noun use of verb phrase stand in
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Baseball is an easy stand-in for America, and vice versa.
From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026
One man, first invited to serve as a stand-in for the narrator’s father, was asked instead to play the boy.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026
And two Americans: Kenyon, a wry, observant, skeptical humanist sculptor, perhaps a stand-in for Hawthorne himself; and Hilda, a New England Puritan painter—self-possessed, pious, unswervingly loyal, pure as a flight of doves.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
Following Merino’s resignation, centrist academic Francisco Sagasti was appointed stand-in president and led the country until planned elections in 2021 -- becoming the only recent leader to complete his intended term, even an interim one.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
“So, what does a stand-in do?” asked Zachary.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
