1
: as a substitute or equivalent
was going to write but called instead
2
: as an alternative to something expressed or implied : rather
longed instead for a quiet country life
Examples of instead in a Sentence
I was offered a ride, but I chose to walk instead.
Recent Examples on the Web
This natural gas could theoretically be exported or used domestically, but doing this requires building expensive infrastructure, so the gas is burned off instead.
—
Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Federal authorities allege in an indictment that the images portrayed of dogs raised and offered for sale at the Giant German Shepherd Ranch in Hopkins County were a disguise for a place where, instead, cruelty and neglect were rampant.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
TotalEnergies has agreed to what's essentially a refund of its leases for projects off the coasts of North Carolina and New York, and will invest the money in fossil fuel projects instead, the Department of Interior announced Monday.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
The project generating this much conversation wasn’t a movie but instead a five-part miniseries titled The Screener directed by Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instead
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Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Federal authorities allege in an indictment that the images portrayed of dogs raised and offered for sale at the Giant German Shepherd Ranch in Hopkins County were a disguise for a place where, instead, cruelty and neglect were rampant.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
TotalEnergies has agreed to what's essentially a refund of its leases for projects off the coasts of North Carolina and New York, and will invest the money in fossil fuel projects instead, the Department of Interior announced Monday.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
The project generating this much conversation wasn’t a movie but instead a five-part miniseries titled The Screener directed by Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for instead
Cite this Entry
“Instead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instead. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
instead
adverb
in·stead
in-ˈsted 
: as a substitute
was going to write but called instead
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