In lieu of is a phrase that means 'in place of' or 'INSTEAD of'. It is often used to refer to a substitution or replacement of something. The three crossword solutions FOR the term IN LIEU OF are FOR (3 letters), INSTEAD (7 letters), and STEAD (5 letters). FOR is a preposition meaning 'in place of' or 'in exchange FOR', while INSTEAD is an adverb meaning 'as a substitute or replacement' and STEAD is a noun meaning 'a substitute or replacement'. Together, these words all convey the same meaning as the phrase IN LIEU OF.