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
Maybe stand in front of a big tree, instead of in a spot where your house address is visible.
—
Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Early arrivals this year reported that due to a lack of rain earlier in the year, the dust was very loose instead of being hard-packed as usual.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
The deep fly to center field wound up in Ramón Laureano’s glove, pushing across just one run instead of four.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Or, Wu suggested, instead of opting for clear plastic aligners, a person could get metal braces or retainers.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
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Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Early arrivals this year reported that due to a lack of rain earlier in the year, the dust was very loose instead of being hard-packed as usual.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
The deep fly to center field wound up in Ramón Laureano’s glove, pushing across just one run instead of four.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Or, Wu suggested, instead of opting for clear plastic aligners, a person could get metal braces or retainers.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2025
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 28 Aug. 2025.
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