fill in
To write missing information somewhere, do someone's job for a short time, or tell someone what they missed.
Meanings
To write information in the blank spaces of a form or document.
"Please fill in your name and address at the top of the application form."
To do someone else's job or take their place temporarily while they are away.
"My colleague is on holiday, so I'm filling in for her this week."
To tell someone the details or news they have missed about a situation.
"I missed the first part of the meeting — can you fill me in later?"
To colour in or shade an outlined area in a drawing or diagram.
"The children were asked to fill in the outline of the map with different colours."
Sense 1 (completing forms) is more common in British English; Americans more often say 'fill out'. Sense 2 (substituting) is informal. Sense 3 (informing) is informal and commonly used with 'on': 'fill me in on what happened'.
Commonly used with
Forms
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