Thesaurus results for SUBSTITUTES

substitutes 1 of 2

noun

plural of substitute

as in replacements

a person or thing that takes the place of another you'll be getting a substitute until your regular teacher is feeling better if you like, you can use nuts as a substitute for coconut in that recipe

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substitutes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of substitute

as in swaps

to give up (something) and take something else in return can I substitute coleslaw for potato salad if I order the chicken plate?

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as in spells

to serve as a replacement usually for a time only substituting for the talk show host while she is on vacation

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as in replaces

to take the place of "John Doe," "Jane Doe," and "Baby Doe" substituted the real names of the parties involved to preserve their privacy

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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 substitutes

Noun

Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola dropped Virgil van Dijk to the substitutes’ bench with French defender Jérémy Jacquet starting. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Some consumers searched for substitutes, and ethanol was an answer then. — Wael Mahdi, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Diet drinks containing sugar substitutes were found to be as effective as water for supporting weight loss in overweight or obese adults, according to a two-year randomized trial. — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 These milks and milk substitutes produce a creamy shake with more nutrients than water or other liquids. — Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2026 Fuelled in part by the overprescription of painkillers like OxyContin in the 1990s, the market for unregulated substitutes exploded into what became regarded as an epidemic by the turn of the millennium. — New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2026 A couple of substitutes helped change the tone in the second half. — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026 Treat emerging technology and tools as amplifiers of trust, not substitutes for it. — Scott Murphy, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Shea Lacey and Harry Amass, both 19, made their European debuts that night as substitutes in the 4-0 win. — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Verb

Then, with one click of a Copy button, the website quietly substitutes a command that could put your Mac at risk. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 This approach substitutes information for sensation, and reduces both human and supra-human experiences to the level of data. — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026 So Tuchel, who always substitutes his wingers after roughly an hour, decided to withdraw Gordon and bring on an extra defender, Ezri Konsa. — Michael Cox, New York Times, 16 July 2026 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, 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 No program substitutes for that. — Desmon Yancy, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026 It is offered as rationale for below-market compensation, as though mission alignment is a form of currency that substitutes for pay. — Charles Stanton, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 The brand partially substitutes sugar with stevia and erythritol. — Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for substitutes

Noun

Bombas Return Policy Bombas’ Happiness Guarantee covers free returns, exchanges, and replacements—including free shipping.

— Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2026
When a code set changes underneath a policy, somebody has to map which of 10 replacements carries the standing the original had, and by default, that is nobody’s job.

— JP Montoya, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of replacements

Verb

Instead of exchanging the entire print head, the K3 swaps a smaller assembly containing the nozzle, hotend and filament path.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Aaron Sorkin hopes to strike gold again with The Social Network follow-up The Social Reckoning, which swaps Jesse Eisenberg for Jeremy Strong in its portrayal of controversial tech exec Mark Zuckerberg.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of swaps

Verb

That spells greater risk for companies selling into global markets.

— Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
And with audiences giving Digger a C on the exit poll Cinemascore (for which anything below a B usually spells disaster), word of mouth will only further curtail its prospects of striking box-office gold.

— Chris Lee, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of spells

Verb

At Moneypenny, smart technology supports rather than replaces human judgment, giving our teams the clarity to make confident decisions within clear guardrails.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
The Prospect Lake Clean Water Center, built under a public-private partnership, replaces Fiveash, a 1950s-era plant that has served Fort Lauderdale and surrounding communities for 73 years.

— Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of replaces

Verb

Consistency turns individual relationships into a community that exchanges honest advice, surfaces opportunities and helps its members navigate growth.

— C200, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Thomas regularly exchanges texts and Instagram messages with Alex’s mother, Leah, in Perth, while enjoying the company of his father, Damien, a former Australian rules football player, when the Condons travel stateside.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2026

Definition of exchanges

Verb

As nature trades its summer greens for a rich tapestry of amber, rust, burgundy, and gold, our wardrobes are following suit—and with all manner of vibrant, textured, statement-making accessories piled on top.

— Ciarra Lorren Zatorski, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2026
In August, the German bank Scalable Capital opened its platform to AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok, letting users analyze portfolios, set up savings plans, and place trades through prompts.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of trades

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substituting

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“Substitutes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substitutes. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of substitutes

noun

verb

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