instead

play

adverb in·stead \ in-ˈsted \

Definition of instead

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

See instead defined for English-language learners

See instead defined for kids

Examples of instead in a Sentence

I was offered a ride, but I chose to walk instead.

Recent Examples of instead from the Web

Instead, you could be picked up almost immediately.

— lisa beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, "LAX Just Made It Easier to Catch a Lyft/Uber from the Airport," 30 Aug. 2017
Instead, Congress is doing the heavy lifting on crafting a tax overhaul, and the administration won’t put one forward.

— jennifer jacobs, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Thanks Mnuchin and Ross at Tax Speech -- But Not Cohn," 30 Aug. 2017
Instead, whether an embryo becomes a male or a female depends on the nest temperature during incubation.

— mitch leslie, Science | AAAS, "Something is changing the sex of Costa Rican crocodiles," 30 Aug. 2017
In a warmer climate, the Sierra will see more rain instead of snow, which means more water gushing down from the mountains to the Central Valley when atmospheric rivers hit.

— ryan sabalow, sacbee, "Think Harvey-like flooding couldn’t happen to Sacramento? Think again.," 30 Aug. 2017
Instead, Luise Rainer, a white actor, got the role and won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance.

— nancy wang yuen, SELF, "Ed Skrein Leaving ‘Hellboy’ to Avoid Whitewashing Was the Right Thing to Do," 30 Aug. 2017
HOUSTON – Harvey made landfall for a second time on Wednesday, as the biggest rainstorm in the history of the continental United States finally began to move away from Houston and arrived just west of Cameron, Louisiana, instead.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Harvey again makes 2nd landfall in Louisiana, this time as a tropical storm," 30 Aug. 2017
Instead, she was found sobbing in a van while her mother was unconscious from a suspected overdose, according to Boca Raton police.

— linda trischitta, Sun-Sentinel.com, "4-year-old in van pleads for help after mom passes out from possible drug overdose," 30 Aug. 2017
Girl agrees to give boy some private time to sort his thoughts and uses the time constructively herself instead of agitating.

— carolyn hax, Detroit Free Press, "Being rejected doesn’t mean you’re ‘not good enough’," 29 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'instead.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of instead

1667

instead Synonyms

Synonyms

first, rather, in lieu

Related Words

alternately, alternatively

INSTEAD Defined for Kids

instead

play

adverb in·stead \ in-ˈsted \

Definition of instead for Students

:as a substitute I was going to write but called instead.

Learn More about instead

See words that rhyme with instead Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for instead Spanish Central: Translation of instead Nglish: Translation of instead for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of instead for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up instead? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

instead

Definition of instead

Examples of instead in a Sentence

Recent Examples of instead from the Web

First Known Use of instead

instead Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

INSTEAD Defined for Kids

instead

Definition of instead for Students

Learn More about instead

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

legerity

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

Name That Thing

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

instead

Definition of instead

From the M-W Editors

Examples of instead in a Sentence

Recent Examples of instead from the Web

First Known Use of instead

instead Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

INSTEAD Defined for Kids

instead

Definition of instead for Students

Learn More about instead

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066