1
as in exchanging
to give up (something) and take something else in return
can I substitute coleslaw for potato salad if I order the chicken plate?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in covering
to serve as a replacement usually for a time only
substituting for the talk show host while she is on vacation
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in replacing
to take the place of
"John Doe," "Jane Doe," and "Baby Doe" substituted the real names of the parties involved to preserve their privacy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of substituting
Maduro is widely believed to have lost the 2024 presidential election to rival Edmundo González, a candidate substituting Machado, yet still claimed victory.
—
David Smilde, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
William wrote Temple out of his will, substituting his granddaughter.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Junior quarterback Leo Stalsberg — substituting for senior starter Cedric Tomes, who’s out with a broken finger — completed 2 of 10 pass attempts for 25 yards.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
On the technical side of things, this jacket places warm fleece in just the right spots to keep you warm, substituting in lighter material on the sides, sleeves, and lower torso to allow room to breathe.
—Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 25 Sep. 2025
Leucovorin, or folinic acid, can counteract those effects by substituting for folate and allowing the body’s folate processes to continue functioning in the presence of methotrexate.
—Alice Park, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Emotivism is substituting for moral judgment on politics.
—Stephen Kent, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
As the dish spread, variations began to pop up with some cooks substituting different kinds of beef, adding carrots for extra sweetness, or adapting it to a soup, like this recipe.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Taking the question further, and assuming the Fed capable of the magic that Democrats, Republicans and even libertarians ascribe to it, won’t private capital retreat overcome the Fed substituting itself for the marketplace in the first place?
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
David Smilde, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
William wrote Temple out of his will, substituting his granddaughter.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Junior quarterback Leo Stalsberg — substituting for senior starter Cedric Tomes, who’s out with a broken finger — completed 2 of 10 pass attempts for 25 yards.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
On the technical side of things, this jacket places warm fleece in just the right spots to keep you warm, substituting in lighter material on the sides, sleeves, and lower torso to allow room to breathe.
—Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 25 Sep. 2025
Leucovorin, or folinic acid, can counteract those effects by substituting for folate and allowing the body’s folate processes to continue functioning in the presence of methotrexate.
—Alice Park, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
Emotivism is substituting for moral judgment on politics.
—Stephen Kent, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
As the dish spread, variations began to pop up with some cooks substituting different kinds of beef, adding carrots for extra sweetness, or adapting it to a soup, like this recipe.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Taking the question further, and assuming the Fed capable of the magic that Democrats, Republicans and even libertarians ascribe to it, won’t private capital retreat overcome the Fed substituting itself for the marketplace in the first place?
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substituting
Verb
-
After connecting online and exchanging messages, the two met in person during New York Fashion Week last September.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The Bengals' social media team shared a video on X of Rodgers and Flacco exchanging a handshake and niceties after the game.—
Anne Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Eleanor Pringle is an award-winning senior reporter at Fortune covering news, the economy, and personal finance.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Eco mode offers a gentle support for more everyday activities like walking or covering slight inclines, while Hyper definitely takes things up a notch for running or steeper climbs.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Chelsea used four wingers against Liverpool — Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro started, with Jamie Gittens and Estevao replacing them late on — and all four enjoyed themselves.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
But with inflation replacing the earliest moments of that stage, all of a sudden the story of our ultimate origins was thrown into doubt.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
These days, the Hall of Famers are swapping their rackets for paddles.—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Mary tweaked the recipe, particularly, swapping instant vanilla pudding for a homemade version.—
Pervaiz Shallwani,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Try spelling the word customer backward.—
Neil Senturia,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
-
In Pennsylvania, lawmakers have still not broken out of the impasse, spelling financial distress for schools and counties that rely particularly heavily on state funding.—
Isabella Volmert,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In a superseding indictment, officials added drug charges against the trio for possession of LSD.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The company’s parent, SGO Corporation, was included in a superseding indictment filed in Florida federal count on Thursday.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
By refusing to specify details of the case, the government keeps the possibility alive of changing their reasoning or their claims to have the same effect for different reasons—just as the mob changes its reasoning for killing Cinna.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Of course, the heaviest anti-Shannon edit came from Sage, who noticed everything from the register of Shannon’s voice changing to her adversary being a giant shark wearing a cute seal mask.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Heat then extended its rotation to 10 players midway through the third quarter, subbing in Terry Rozier.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
18 Oct. 2025
-
While subbing for an assistant who worked for an executive at Universal, Burch became interested in the film industry.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Substituting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substituting. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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