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
In his fifth-inning at-bat, Stephenson was on the other side of two successful challenges by Rutschman that put him down 1-2 in the count instead of up 3-0.
—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
6 July 2026
The design mounts graphics processing units in compute trays that sit vertically instead of horizontally to boost density and reduce latency, and had been slated to debut with Vera Rubin Ultra, Nvidia's next-generation rack-scale system, in 2027.
—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 July 2026
Your unconventional ideas land better when people can experience them instead of only hearing about them.
—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
5 July 2026
However, because his hearing aids connected directly to the ringtone, the two ended up wandering around the house, using the changing volume to narrow down its location instead of listening for the phone itself.
—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
5 July 2026
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C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
6 July 2026
The design mounts graphics processing units in compute trays that sit vertically instead of horizontally to boost density and reduce latency, and had been slated to debut with Vera Rubin Ultra, Nvidia's next-generation rack-scale system, in 2027.
—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 July 2026
Your unconventional ideas land better when people can experience them instead of only hearing about them.
—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
5 July 2026
However, because his hearing aids connected directly to the ringtone, the two ended up wandering around the house, using the changing volume to narrow down its location instead of listening for the phone itself.
—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
5 July 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 6 Jul. 2026.
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