Stead

LIEU

Think of a French word meaning "place" often used in phrases like "in its ___."

"Stead" is a shortened form of "instead," which directly hints at the answer "LIEU"—as in the phrase "in lieu of," meaning "in place of." The clue plays on the idea of substitution, where "stead" and "lieu" both imply replacing one thing with another. It’s a straightforward definition with no hidden wordplay, just a nod to common usage.