Substitute

/ˈsʌb.stɪ.tʃuːt/ · verb

Meaning

(transitive) To use in place of something else, with the same function..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive) To use in place of something else, with the same function.
2. (transitive, in the phrase "substitute X for Y") To use X in place of Y.
3. (transitive, formerly proscribed, often in the phrase "substitute X with/by Y", sometimes "substitute X for Y") To use Y in place of X; to replace X with Y.
4. (transitive, sports) To remove (a player) from the field of play and bring on another in his place.
5. (intransitive) To serve as a replacement (for someone or something).
6. A replacement or stand-in for something that achieves a similar result or purpose.
7. A substitute teacher.
8. (sports) A player who is available to replace another if the need arises, and who may or may not actually do so.

Example Sentences

I had no shallots so I substituted onion.

I had to substitute new parts for the old ones.

I had to substitute old parts with the new ones.

You know when you first have a baby, and you're like "I'm gonna die 'cause I've never slept"? … and you get [an] hour and a half in the middle of the night that you get to sleep. Your partner's like, "I'll take care of this." … I used that hour and a half, instead of sleeping, to watch The Pitt. … The most panic inducing show. … I was just like I was like, "Why do I feel like vomiting 24/7? Oh, I substituted sleep for watching The Pitt."

He was playing poorly and was substituted after twenty minutes

Mario Balotelli replaced Tevez but his contribution was so negligible that he suffered the indignity of being substituted himself as time ran out, a development that encapsulated a wretched 90 minutes for City and boss Roberto Mancini.

Accumulation of wealth by this route may substitute for personal saving.

Ladies [in William Shakespeare's age], again, universally wore masks as the sole substitute known to our ancestors for the modern parasol; a fact, perhaps, not generally known.

Synonyms for substitute

Antonyms for substitute

Related Words

Word Forms

• substitutes
• substituting
• substituted

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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