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
Examples of instead in a Sentence
I was offered a ride, but I chose to walk instead.
Recent Examples on the Web
Finding out who the father was took a backseat then with the family instead focused on raising the puppies and adopting them out.
—
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Travelers to Europe should consider a phone crossbody purse instead, like this compact but spacious one from Amazon.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Mookie Betts instead struck out to seal Toronto’s victory.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
But the complex pricing system that the company put in place instead cost it millions of visitors, Speigel said.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instead
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.
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Travelers to Europe should consider a phone crossbody purse instead, like this compact but spacious one from Amazon.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Mookie Betts instead struck out to seal Toronto’s victory.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
But the complex pricing system that the company put in place instead cost it millions of visitors, Speigel said.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instead
Cite this Entry
“Instead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instead. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
instead
adverb
in·stead
in-ˈsted 
: as a substitute
was going to write but called instead
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share