: example
I'll give you a for instance.
: as an instance or example
older people, like my grandmother, for instance

Examples of for instance in a Sentence

Noun Let me give you a for instance.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Phrase
Amazon, for instance, has blocked agents from shopping on its site. — Marty Swant, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026 Citigroup economists, for instance, think easing inflation data in the months ahead will give the Fed reason to stay on hold and perhaps begin cutting next year, though the firm is forecasting a hike this December. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026 The Backstreet Boys are in many ways a squeaky clean offshoot of New Edition, for instance, but the former is generally seen as a boy band while the latter is branded as a male R&B group—something sexier, less innocent. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 Last year, for instance, soon after Kushner’s confirmation, Pierre Haski, the president of Reporters Without Borders, received an unusual visit, orchestrated by the American Embassy, from two State Department representatives. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for for instance

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1959, in the meaning defined above

Phrase

1597, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of for instance was in 1597

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“For instance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/for%20instance. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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