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

"Even in his darkest moments, he chose to encourage others instead of giving in to fear," the relative said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

Interestingly, from what I have read, the $2 million–to–$4 million range is also around the point where many financial planners consider self-insuring for long-term care instead of purchasing long-term-care insurance.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

XPeng has spent eight years developing them, opting for what he described as the “hard path” by producing humanoid machines instead of industrial-automation equipment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Ship-tracking data shows at least eight ships bound for the Red Sea have made U-turns instead of entering the Bab al-Mandab Strait from the south as well.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

“You came right in here to play your game instead of talking to me. Is Lorren’s mother letting her have more time?”

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows