instance 1 of 2

as in example
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like this is just one instance of his repeated failure to do what he promised

Synonyms & Similar Words

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instance

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to cite
to give as an example instanced one particular incident as an illustration of their penchant for practical jokes

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3

Synonym Chooser

How is the word instance distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of instance are case, example, illustration, sample, and specimen. While all these words mean "something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its category," instance applies to any individual person, act, or thing that may be offered to illustrate or explain.

an instance of history repeating itself

When could case be used to replace instance?

Although the words case and instance have much in common, case is used to direct attention to a real or assumed occurrence or situation that is to be considered, studied, or dealt with.

a case of mistaken identity

When might example be a better fit than instance?

The meanings of example and instance largely overlap; however, example applies to a typical, representative, or illustrative instance or case.

a typical example of bureaucratic waste

When can illustration be used instead of instance?

In some situations, the words illustration and instance are roughly equivalent. However, illustration applies to an instance offered as a means of clarifying or illuminating a general statement.

a telling illustration of Murphy's Law

When is it sensible to use sample instead of instance?

The words sample and instance can be used in similar contexts, but sample implies a part or unit taken at random from a larger whole and so presumed to be typical of its qualities.

show us a sample of your work

Where would specimen be a reasonable alternative to instance?

While the synonyms specimen and instance are close in meaning, specimen applies to any example or sample whether representative or merely existent and available.

one of the finest specimens of the jeweler's art

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of instance
Noun
But in recent weeks, the Department of Justice has been making controversial demands to numerous states to turn over such data, including in several instances voter rolls that include personal data like driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. Miles Parks, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025 In this instance, the team must be better at block shedding and wrap-up tackling. Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Topics under discussion included changes in the industry over the last decade, instanced by the rise of digital and gaming, audience fragmentation, and the emergence of disruptive technologies such as AI. Liza Foreman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2023 But there’s been plenty of room for errors and hallucinations, instances when chatbots like ChatGPT have concocted inaccurate—and sometimes worrying—answers to questions. Joseph Abrams, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2023 See All Example Sentences for instance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instance
Noun
  • The reversal marks just one example of how Trump is rewriting Republicans’ decades-old playbook on countering Beijing’s influence in the United States and abroad.
    Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • American craft beer, for example, has grown over the last 30 years to take nearly 15% of US beer sales by volume.
    Nish Acharya, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Others cite the college spitting incident that followed two days later in the Florida-South Florida game as an example of how influential the NFL can be, suggesting that a suspension long enough to end spitting once and for all could benefit sportsmanship at all levels.
    Mike Sando, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The Detroit Tigers cite Major League Baseball’s policy banning unpermitted ticket sales.
    Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As with any career as long as his, there have been moments when perhaps his aesthetic wasn’t so aligned with where fashion was going, but mention that and Roversi will gently put it to one side.
    Mark Holgate, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Bates gets fired up when productions shot outside Los Angeles are mentioned.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The timing, although likely coincidental, illustrated the dilemma Democrats currently face.
    Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Still, Carney’s lyrical piece, a sort of prose poem-flash fiction hybrid, written from the point of view of an unborn baby, illustrates a womb space at once protective and cage-like.
    Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Police recovered posts that appeared to reference the 1999 Columbine High School mass shooting and the 2022 Uvalde, Texas, elementary school mass shooting, according to court documents.
    Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Other notes reference the Gordon Riots — an uprising in 1780 spurred by anti-Catholic sentiment — and the Mohocks, a violent gang of upper-class young men who got drunk and attacked people.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Google hasn’t specified if there will be an eventual end date.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The 49ers have not specified what exatly happened to these body parts.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Watch Thelma on Hulu Kinds of Kindness Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, this 2024 dark dramedy anthology is told across three loosely interwoven chapters, each exploring characters who take extraordinary measures to demonstrate their love to someone else.
    Hannah Kerns, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The Royals demonstrated patience and diligently worked favorable counts before landing the knockout blow.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Leaders need to practice empathy by noticing when silence lingers in a meeting, when a camera remains off, or when fatigue from time zones takes its toll.
    Matthew C. Meade, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Later, while sifting through their collections, researchers noticed three unfamiliar-looking fish, the 2025 study said.
    Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Instance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instance. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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