You’re halfway through a presentation. You’ve just dropped a massive data point about Q4 churn rates, and now you need to ground that math in reality. You reach for the old reliable. "For example," you say. Then you say it again two slides later. By the end of the meeting, you’ve used the phrase six times. It’s a verbal crutch. We all do it because it’s safe, but honestly, it’s boring.
Language is supposed to move. When you rely on the same transitional phrase over and over, your writing starts to feel like a choppy flight. Finding different ways to say for example isn't just about being "fancy" or showing off a high-school vocabulary. It’s about clarity. It’s about making sure your reader doesn't tune out because they can predict your next sentence before you even write it.
The reality is that "for example" is a bridge. Sometimes you need a heavy-duty steel bridge for a formal white paper, and sometimes you just need a few stepping stones for a quick Slack message to your boss.
Why Your Transitions Actually Matter
If you’re writing a legal brief, you can’t exactly drop a "check this out" before a case citation. Context is everything. Most people fail at SEO and professional writing because they treat every sentence with the same level of gravity. They get stuck in a loop.
Bryan Garner, the authority on legal writing and editor of Black's Law Dictionary, often talks about the importance of "connective tissue" in prose. If the joints are stiff, the whole body of the work fails to move. When you swap out a repetitive phrase for something like "to illustrate" or "case in point," you’re giving the reader’s brain a tiny hit of novelty. That novelty keeps them scrolling.
The Problem with "For Instance"
Wait, isn't "for instance" the same thing? Basically, yeah.
In common usage, people use them interchangeably. If you want to get technical—and linguists like those at Merriam-Webster occasionally do—an "instance" often refers to a specific occurrence or a fact that supports an argument, while an "example" might be a representative object or a pattern. In the real world? Nobody cares. If you swap "for example" for "for instance" every single time, you haven't solved the problem. You've just traded one crutch for another.
Better Ways to Say For Example in Professional Emails
Business communication is tricky. You want to sound authoritative but not like a robot from 1995. If you're explaining a new software feature to a client, you might say, "As a case in point, consider how the new API handles concurrent requests." It sounds deliberate. It sounds like you've thought about this specific scenario.
Try using "Specifically," when you want to zoom in on a detail. It’s sharp. It’s fast. It tells the reader that the fluff is over and the meat is coming. If you're providing a list of options, "Such as" works perfectly well, provided you don't overstuff the sentence.
- To demonstrate: Great for when you’re showing a process.
- Let’s look at: This is conversational. It feels like you’re sitting next to the person, pointing at a screen.
- Notably: Use this when the example is particularly impressive or weird.
Think about the flow of a conversation. You wouldn't say "for example" to a friend at a bar. You'd say, "Like that time we went to Vegas..." In a business setting, you can mimic that natural flow by using "Consider the case of..." or simply "Imagine..." ## Academic and Formal Alternatives
In academic writing, the stakes are different. You aren't just trying to be "not boring"; you’re trying to build an airtight logical structure. In these environments, ways to say for example need to signal evidence.
"Exemplified by" is a heavy hitter. It’s formal. It connects a theory directly to a piece of evidence. If you are citing a study by someone like Daniel Kahneman on behavioral economics, you might write: "Loss aversion influences most financial decisions, as exemplified by the tendency of investors to hold losing stocks longer than winners."
Another solid choice is "Including, but not limited to." This is classic legalese, but it serves a vital function in contracts or formal proposals. It says, "Here are some examples, but don't think this is the whole list." It protects you.
Then there’s the Latin: e.g. (exempli gratia). Just remember to use the commas correctly. It’s always "e.g.," followed by your list. But honestly? In 2026, most digital-first publications are moving away from Latin abbreviations because they can be a bit of a speed bump for mobile readers.
Creative Writing and Storytelling
If you're writing a blog post or a long-form essay, you have more room to play. You can use "Think of it this way" to set up a metaphor. Metaphors are just examples in fancy clothes.
Sometimes the best way to give an example is to not use a transition at all.
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Just tell the story.
If I’m talking about the dangers of burnout, I don't need to say "For example, I once worked 80 hours a week." I can just say: "Last Tuesday, I found myself staring at a spreadsheet for three hours without moving a single cell. That’s what burnout looks like." The example is implied. The reader is smart. They’ll catch up.
When to Use "To Name a Few"
This one is great for the end of a sentence. It’s a way to provide examples without making the sentence feel bottom-heavy.
"We’ve seen massive growth in several sectors, including fintech, green energy, and edtech, to name a few."
It adds a sense of scale. It suggests there's a whole world of data you aren't even bothering to mention because you're so well-informed.
Breaking the "Such As" Habit
"Such as" is the sneaky cousin of "for example." It’s fine in moderation, but it gets repetitive fast. If you find yourself using it too much, try "Particularly" or "Including." There’s a subtle difference in weight here. "Such as" feels like a random selection. "Particularly" feels like you’ve picked the most important one. When you’re trying to rank on Google or capture someone’s attention in Google Discover, that specificity matters. Google loves "expertness," and experts don't just pick examples at random; they pick the right ones.
The Power of "In Particular"
This is one of the most underrated ways to say for example. It’s punchy.
"The housing market is cooling in several regions. In particular, the Sun Belt has seen a double-digit drop in new listings."
See how that works? It transitions from the general to the specific without the clunky "for example" bridge. It feels more like a news report and less like a textbook.
Practical List of Substitutes Based on Tone
Since we aren't doing a perfectly symmetrical table, let's just look at these by vibe.
If you want to sound like a visionary leader:
- "Picture this..."
- "A prime illustration is..."
- "This is mirrored in..."
If you’re writing a technical manual:
- "As follows:"
- "Specifically,"
- "To clarify,"
If you’re just chatting in a blog post:
- "Kinda like..."
- "Take..." (e.g., "Take the 2008 crash.")
- "Case in point:"
Misconceptions About Transitional Phrases
A lot of people think that using "for example" makes them sound more logical. That’s not always true. Sometimes, it’s just a sign of lazy organization. If your paragraphs are structured well, the examples should flow naturally from the topic sentences.
There's also this weird myth that you should never start a sentence with "For example." That's nonsense. You absolutely can. But you shouldn't start every paragraph that way.
Another misconception: that "like" is always "incorrect" in formal writing. While "such as" is often preferred for introducing a list of items, "like" is perfectly acceptable in most modern business contexts. Writing "Companies like Apple and Google" is a lot more human than "Companies such as Apple and Google." Don't be afraid to sound like a person.
Using Visuals as Examples
In 2026, text isn't the only way to provide an example. Sometimes the best way to say for example is to actually show it. If you're writing for the web, an embedded tweet, a screenshot, or a short video clip can replace a 200-word explanatory paragraph.
When you do this, your transition can be as simple as: "See the chart below for a breakdown of these numbers." This is especially important for Google Discover. Discover thrives on "snackable" content. If your article is just a wall of text with "for example" used twenty times, nobody is going to stay. Use bold text. Use images. Break up those long paragraphs.
The "One-Word" Example Technique
Sometimes, you don't need a phrase at all. You can use a colon.
"The team faced several major hurdles: budget cuts, turnover, and a shifting deadline."
The colon does all the heavy lifting. It tells the reader, "Hey, examples are coming." It’s clean. It’s modern. It saves you three words. In a world where people have the attention span of a goldfish, saving three words is a win.
Actionable Steps for Better Writing
If you want to clean up your writing today, start with a "Search and Destroy" mission. Open your latest draft and hit Ctrl+F. Type in "for example."
- Count them. If you have more than two per 500 words, you’ve got a problem.
- Delete half of them. See if the sentence still works without the transition. Often, it does.
- Replace the rest. Use the list we talked about above. If it’s a formal piece, try "To illustrate." If it’s informal, try "Like..."
- Vary your sentence length. If your example is a long, complex thought, make the transition short. "Consider this." followed by a 30-word explanation is a great rhythmic shift.
- Check your H2s. Make sure you aren't using the same structural patterns in every section.
The goal isn't to never use the phrase again. It’s a perfectly good phrase! The goal is to be the boss of your vocabulary rather than letting your vocabulary boss you around. When you vary your ways to say for example, you demonstrate a level of mastery that marks you as a true expert in your field.
Stop settling for the first word that pops into your head. Your readers—and your SEO rankings—will thank you for it. Focus on the rhythm of your prose. Read it out loud. If you stumble over a repetition, fix it. That's the difference between "content" and real writing.
Final thought: Keep it simple. Don't reach for a $10 word when a $1 word will do, but don't use that $1 word until it’s worn thin. Mix it up. Stay sharp. Write like a human speaking to another human.