as in alternative
taking the place of one that came before
his recent religious fanaticism is only the latest substitutive addiction of a person with an addictive personality
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Recent Examples of substitutive
At the top end, its role is more augmentative than substitutive, and its impact more incremental than disruptive or transformational.
—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2026
This kind of substitutive logic appears in early case histories of anorexia.
—Anna Shechtman, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2021
This simple, substitutive kind of automation, Mr. Acemoglu and Mr. Restrepo wrote, threatens not just individual workers, but the economy as a whole.
—New York Times, 6 Mar. 2021
Somewhere along the line, a foundational philosophy emerged: Identity is additive, not substitutive.
—Monte Reel, Bloomberg.com, 20 July 2017
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2026
This kind of substitutive logic appears in early case histories of anorexia.
—Anna Shechtman, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2021
This simple, substitutive kind of automation, Mr. Acemoglu and Mr. Restrepo wrote, threatens not just individual workers, but the economy as a whole.
—New York Times, 6 Mar. 2021
Somewhere along the line, a foundational philosophy emerged: Identity is additive, not substitutive.
—Monte Reel, Bloomberg.com, 20 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substitutive
Adjective
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Business executives have already poured millions of dollars into groups that oppose the billionaire tax or are promoting alternative solutions to wealth inequality.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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Residents should clear dead or dying vegetation around their homes, landscape with fire-resistant plants and nonflammable ground cover, and find alternative ways to dispose of landscape debris, according to Cal Fire’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit.—
Haley Parsley,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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The first colorway will be available in an all-blue silhouette that also features Clark's new signature logo.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
On Wednesday, federal prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss all charges in the case, citing new video evidence.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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The Ports, who played as their alternate Copa de la Diversión name, the Cheladas, also gave an option to give dad a shout-out on the jumbotron during a game where the Cheladas shut out the Visalia Rawhide, 8-0.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
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Fish swim by alternate contractions of aerobic muscles that run the length of their bodies in a small red band just under their skin, while their large white anaerobic muscles are used only for brief bursts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 June 2026
Adjective
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Court filings obtained by PEOPLE previously revealed that McBee was ordered to surrender several luxury watches — including a Rolex Daytona and two Tag Heuer timepieces — as substitute assets toward satisfying the money judgment tied to the case.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
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Morrison pushed back, making a substitute motion to adopt the budget as presented by staff and revisit the item in August.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
Adjective
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Barnacles, mussels, clams, algae and other warm-seawater-dwelling fauna and flora have latched onto oil tankers hundreds of massive oil tankers anchored in the Persian Gulf over the past several months.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
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This handheld vacuum has a lightweight design and strong suction to clean debris in hard-to-reach areas behind the couch, in the car, and other hard-to-reach areas.—
Madeline Merinuk,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Substitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substitutive. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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