instead of
preposition
in·stead of
in-ˈste-də(v) 
-ˈsti-
: in place of : as a substitute for or alternative to
chose tea instead of coffee
Examples of instead of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The zoning board granted the permit in 2025 after a public hearing alongside an exception to the rules that would allow six units on the site, instead of the less-dense two units that would normally be allowed on the property’s square footage.
—
Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
One begins to think that the condition is hereditary—that, instead of a Habsburg jaw, the wealthy white denizens of New Orleans high society are saddled with emotional problems.
—Brandy Jensen, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2026
Had Moore levelled things by finding the net instead of a post from a couple of yards out, maybe Wrexham could have pulled off one of those famous turnarounds.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
For instance, changing out the laminate countertops instead of doing a full kitchen overhaul or updating the backsplash.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2026
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Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
One begins to think that the condition is hereditary—that, instead of a Habsburg jaw, the wealthy white denizens of New Orleans high society are saddled with emotional problems.
—Brandy Jensen, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2026
Had Moore levelled things by finding the net instead of a post from a couple of yards out, maybe Wrexham could have pulled off one of those famous turnarounds.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
For instance, changing out the laminate countertops instead of doing a full kitchen overhaul or updating the backsplash.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instead of
Cite this Entry
“Instead of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instead%20of. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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