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

Atletico have won just one game in their last four across all competitions, and in midweek lost against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt to leave them in the Champions League play-offs instead of progressing directly to the last 16.

From Barron's

Picture a glowing cloud that looks like a neon sign, but instead of water droplets it holds vast numbers of microscopic dust particles suspended in space.

From Science Daily

"Instead of entropy resisting the reaction, it now promotes it."

From Science Daily

Instead of moving through an atmospheric layer in hours, a single molecule might take several weeks.

From Science Daily

Instead of leaning into cliché or whitewashing, he radiated dignity, cultural pride and a new kind of Black romantic masculinity—sensual without becoming caricature.

From The Wall Street Journal