instead of

Idioms  

1. Also, in lieu of; in place of; in someone's stead. In substitution for, rather than. For example, She wore a dress instead of slacks, or They had a soprano in lieu of a tenor, or In place of soft drinks they served fruit juice, or The chairman spoke in her stead. Instead of dates from about 1200; in lieu of, which borrows lieu, meaning “place,” from French, dates from the late 1200s; in place of dates from the 1500s; and in someone's stead from the 1200s. Also see under in someone's shoes.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

instead of

The doll featured a new Barbie face sculpt with a closed mouth instead of a big toothy smile.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Lockheed Martin delivered the initial batch of components in August, which GM produced in three weeks instead of the typical several months.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Those molecules helped repair the gut lining, reinforce the intestinal barrier, increase the production of protective mucus and strengthen antimicrobial defenses instead of driving additional inflammation.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

Following a suspected tear last year, Hodgkinson had a scan which revealed she has a "split" hamstring, giving her two tendons instead of one.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

The picture that Hawes makes is probably the very first of doctors being doctors instead of doctors posing for portraits.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman