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

The following year, he released his debut album This Is My Demo, accompanied by the top 40 single, Little Derek, which celebrated how he had "ended up in HMV instead of HMP".

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 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

A-Baki said humanity was "not controlling" AI's development "because we are depending on it instead of being the ones that have been creating it independently."

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

Based on the research I did, I think it’s one of the poems she sent to a friend instead of binding into a secret book.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison