substitute

serve as a/(one's) substitute

To take the place or fill the purpose of someone or something else. We created these wood pellets from repurposed sawdust to serve as more a ecologically friendly substitute for other fuel sources. This is Shawna, everyone. She's going to be serving as my substitute while I'm on sabbatical.
See also: serve, substitute

sub for (someone or something)

1. To act as a substitute for someone or something. ("Sub" is an abbreviation of "substitute.") I'm subbing for Eric for the next few days while he recovers in the hospital. Don't believe anyone who tries to convince you that low-fat cooking sprays can sub for real butter or olive oil and not taste any different.
2. To use, employ, or instruct someone or something to act as a substitute for someone or something else. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "sub" and "for." With a healthy 30-point lead, the coach subbed the rookie for the star quarter back to give him some experience on the field. Let's try subbing an AC motor for the DC one we've been using and see if that improves the results.
See also: sub

substitute for (someone or something)

1. To act as a substitute for someone or something. I'm substituting for Eric for the next few days while he recovers in the hospital. Don't believe anyone who tries to convince you that low-fat cooking sprays can substitute for real butter or olive oil and not taste any different.
2. To use, employ, or instruct someone or something to act as a substitute for someone or something else. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "sub" and "for." With a healthy 30-point lead, the coach substituted the rookie for the star quarter back to give him some experience on the field. Let's try substituting an AC motor for the DC one we've been using and see if that improves the results.
See also: substitute
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

sub for someone or something

to substitute for someone or something. I have to sub for Roger at work this weekend. Will pliers sub for the wrench you wanted?
See also: sub

sub someone for (someone else)

 and sub something for something else
to substitute someone for someone else or something for something else. I will sub Chuck for Roger for this next play only. We will sub the red ones for the blue ones.
See also: sub

substitute for someone or something

to serve as a replacement for someone or something. I have to substitute for Roger at work this weekend. Do you think that this will substitute for the one you wanted?
See also: substitute

substitute someone for (someone else)

 and substitute something for something else
to exchange someone or something for someone or something else; to replace someone or something with someone or something else. Shall I substitute Fred for Mary in the front office? Please substitute fish for beef on my dinner order.
See also: substitute
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • serve as a/(one's) replacement
  • serve as a/(one's) substitute
  • mongo
  • get (one's) fill
  • get one's fill
  • fill
  • fill (someone) full of lead
  • fill full of lead
  • fill someone full of lead
  • eat (one's) fill
References in periodicals archive
If Petrielli wants to continue substitute teaching, if she loves the satisfaction of it, we get that.
The greater good After winning a school board seat, a substitute teacher must step away from the classroom
He added that Abraham had no record of committing such offences in the time that he had served as a substitute teacher in the past.
Ohio Middle School Substitute Teacher Suspended For Allegedly Masturbating In Classroom
If any of the aforementioned categories are not available for a particular specialisation, other nationalities may be called upon to be a part of the substitute teachers' incentives system.
Resolution issued on substitute teachers
When districts don't have a centralized role to manage substitutes, they may hire staffing agencies, such as Kelly Educational Staffing, Source4Teachers and TeacherMatch, to recruit and retain substitute teachers.
Quest for stronger subs: leaders turn to social media, staffing agencies and local talent to boost quality
The average time to the first engineered skin substitutes was 32 days.
Skin substitutes trim pediatric burn deaths
Factors such as growing consumer awareness, sugar prices and availability issues, increasing investments in R&D for development of more substitutes and cost advantages provided by the substitutes contribute to the demands and adoption rate.
Sugar substitutes to reach S13,761.2m by 2018
"Based on this data, a diet that is low in fat and calories might be a better strategy for weight loss than using fat substitutes," Swithers said.
Fat Substitutes Linked to Weight Gain
The district is one of only three in Oregon whose substitute teachers are unionized, and the group - Eugene Association of Substitute Teachers, or EAST - has been working without a contract since last June.
SUB CULTURE
Under federal law, substitutes must be deemed "highly qualified," even if they are only used for a single day, and must have teaching credentials.
Substitute teachers under scope; Schools must pay unemployment tab
Pressman (education, Florida Atlantic U.) is a founding participant of Substitutes with Mentors and Realistic Teaching, a program to develop qualified, trained substitute teachers; she has 30-plus years of classroom experience.
Substitute teaching from A to Z; become an organized professional, work in any classroom
According to the Substitute Teaching Institute at Utah State University, 77 percent of teachers miss school to attend professional development classes.
Preparing for a substitute
Is it a good idea to replace the salt in my shaker with a salt substitute?
When salt substitutes are risky business
The lump sum W received served as a substitute for the ordinary income he would have otherwise received over a period of time.
Sale of lottery payments produces ordinary income
Rubber plantations have a variety of agricultural options they can substitute, and petroleum derived synthetic rubbers can be pushed further down in the pecking order when supplies get tight.
Diminishing supplies