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
Griffin instead ran into the tunnel in what turned into a viral moment.
—
Mike Prada, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2025
That weapon is the Doom Slayer, who in this game doesn’t act according to his own freewill for most of the game, but is instead tethered to the Makyrs.
—Richard Newby, Time, 6 Dec. 2025
Many countries in Europe and Asia ended the practice in recent decades, shifting instead to systems that require at least one parent to be a citizen or legal resident.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Memory prices are rising for consumer products because major manufacturers are instead ramping up production for AI data centers as artificial intelligence companies boom.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instead
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Mike Prada, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2025
That weapon is the Doom Slayer, who in this game doesn’t act according to his own freewill for most of the game, but is instead tethered to the Makyrs.
—Richard Newby, Time, 6 Dec. 2025
Many countries in Europe and Asia ended the practice in recent decades, shifting instead to systems that require at least one parent to be a citizen or legal resident.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Memory prices are rising for consumer products because major manufacturers are instead ramping up production for AI data centers as artificial intelligence companies boom.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instead
Cite this Entry
“Instead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instead. Accessed 11 Dec. 2025.
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instead
adverb
in·stead
in-ˈsted 
: as a substitute
was going to write but called instead
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