The antonyms for the word "being in place of" include words like absence, nonexistence, and vacuity. These words are used to describe the absence or lack of something that would typically occupy a space or position. For example, if a person is absent from their usual place of work, someone else would be in their place, or there would be a vacancy. Similarly, if an object or item is missing, there would be a void or emptiness where it should be. The opposite of being in place of is to not exist or be present, signifying an absence or lack of something that should be there.