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
The vice president took questions from Turning Point executive Andrew Kolvet instead of Erika Kirk, who began leading the organization after the assassination of her husband Charlie Kirk.
—
ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Miles decided to stay in college last season instead of entering the WNBA draft.
—Briauna Brown, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Consider paying cash instead of spending down your deductible.
—Jackie Fortiér, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
Much has been made of Gen Z turning 2026 into the year of friction; having real experiences, with real people, to make things feel hard and awkward again instead of optimized into a primordial soup flow-of-consciousness state-of-being.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
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ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Miles decided to stay in college last season instead of entering the WNBA draft.
—Briauna Brown, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Consider paying cash instead of spending down your deductible.
—Jackie Fortiér, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
Much has been made of Gen Z turning 2026 into the year of friction; having real experiences, with real people, to make things feel hard and awkward again instead of optimized into a primordial soup flow-of-consciousness state-of-being.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instead of
Cite this Entry
“Instead of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instead%20of. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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