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

“As time passes, investors will need to value the stock based on its multitude of businesses instead of the initial IPO hype,” Mike Dickson, head of research at Horizon Investments, said in emailed comments.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

This top down regulation suggests that decision making involves continuous communication across multiple brain areas instead of a simple one direction flow of information.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026

What exists instead of a government is “heads of authority” with various kinds of clout and vulnerability.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

But he’ll get treatment this week instead of playing in the All-Star Game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

Now instead of wanting the day to end, I prayed that we would stay where we were until dark.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom