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

“Too many families compare this month’s daycare bill instead of the lifetime earnings they are protecting,” Ulin said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

The bad: The credit expires in six months instead of the usual 12 with regular-economy tickets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

“In terms of how I do things and my approach to stand-up, instead of doing a podcast, having a book club seems like a natural extension of that.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

To stand on the ground instead of scrolling past it.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

Our voices ring out and, for just a second, I feel like I’m on top of the world instead of on a moderately sized mound of dirt.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison