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

It turns salt from an ingredient into a conversation — ongoing, responsive, a series of small decisions instead of one final correction.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

In this race, a team of esports athletes stare forward at a screen instead of the starting line.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

Too many, he said, are focusing on productivity instead of laying out a strategy for how companies can find new business models to grow or on how workers can best use AI.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

Arsenal have lost two league games on the spin, so the next time they step on the pitch, at home to Newcastle on Saturday, they are going to have doubts instead of momentum and confidence.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

They mostly just wanted to hang out on lawn chairs, and even when we did go in, they’d pick one spot in the water and stay there talking instead of swimming.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison