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
It is instead being played in Dubai which has always stepped in when cricket is tangled in politics.
—
Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
After Gabriel breaks her heart, Beth defers her dreams and marries a doting farmer instead.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 9 Mar. 2025
But instead, Crudup had the exact opposite reaction.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 9 Mar. 2025
Or just switch to a top sheet instead and wash it with your sheets every week.
—Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instead
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Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
After Gabriel breaks her heart, Beth defers her dreams and marries a doting farmer instead.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 9 Mar. 2025
But instead, Crudup had the exact opposite reaction.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 9 Mar. 2025
Or just switch to a top sheet instead and wash it with your sheets every week.
—Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 9 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
instead
adverb
in·stead
in-ˈsted 
: as a substitute
was going to write but called instead
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