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

The doll featured a new Barbie face sculpt with a closed mouth instead of a big toothy smile.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

By carefully choosing the size and spacing of these pillars, the team caused light to remain inside the meta-surface slightly longer and circulate within it instead of simply passing straight through.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

The following year, he released his debut album This Is My Demo, accompanied by the top 40 single, Little Derek, which celebrated how he had "ended up in HMV instead of HMP".

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

These cards can help if the cardholder uses the introductory period as a chance to pay off the debt, instead of taking a break from paying interest.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

This time, instead of putting up his own hands, though, he reached for my wrists.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse