instead of

preposition

in·​stead of in-ˈste-də(v) 

-ˈsti-

: in place of : as a substitute for or alternative to

chose tea instead of coffee

Examples of instead of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Merzļikins swatted at the puck, but Luostarinen got his stick on it, too, sending the puck up in the air, instead of out of the zone. —Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2025

Under the proposal, the Strykers already stationed in Europe would stay on the continent and be handed over to Poland instead of returning to the United States as part of America’s ongoing force reduction. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Dec. 2025

That means when a system hits, Wisconsin is getting all snow instead of a mix of precipitation. —Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 6 Dec. 2025

Amid reports that troops are being employed in tasks such as trash pickup and landscaping instead of security, as the White House has suggested, West Virginia Democratic lawmakers have sharply criticized Morrisey for signing off on it. —Scott Neuman, NPR, 6 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English in sted of

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for instead of

• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove
• hereinabove

Kids Definition

instead of

preposition

in-ˌsted-ə(v), 

-ˌstid-

: in place of : as a substitute for

had milk instead of juice