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
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
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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The 28-year-old trades her ethereal R&B sound for a lean into alternative female rage.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
1 July 2025
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So far, the country's outbound shipments have held up relatively strong over the past two months, as exporters pivoted to alternative markets, notably Southeast Asian countries and European Union nations.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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The largest provisions in the legislation would extend expiring tax cuts and create a few new ones, and a dramatic increasing in spending on border security.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
29 June 2025
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Affectionately, the 35-year-old pop star is not known for setting or chasing trends, instead using fashion to tease new musical eras or evoke a sense of girl-next-door relatability.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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But the Suns were going to get something for Durant, so the alternate history isn’t necessarily much different.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
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In an alternate timeline, billionaire and investor Mark Cuban could have been Kamala Harris‘ vice presidential pick.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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Wyden, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and other senior Democrats made parliamentarian inquiries on the floor Sunday afternoon to set up a later challenge to the Republican baseline.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
29 June 2025
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Sometimes, however, the criticism comes not from the party that lost, but from other justices.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Substitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substitutive. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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