diff --git a/d3-selection/index.d.ts b/d3-selection/index.d.ts
index 44bf64c0e0..65703f66ff 100644
--- a/d3-selection/index.d.ts
+++ b/d3-selection/index.d.ts
@@ -503,63 +503,24 @@ interface Selection<GElement extends BaseType, Datum, PElement extends BaseType,
      *
      * The generic refers to the type of the child element to be appended.
      *
-     * @param type A string representing the tag name for the element type to be inserted. The specified name may have a namespace prefix,
-     * such as svg:text to specify a text attribute in the SVG namespace. If no namespace is specified, the namespace will be inherited
-     * from the parent element; or, if the name is one of the known prefixes, the corresponding namespace will be used
-     * (for example, svg implies svg:svg)
-     * @param before A CSS selector string for the element before which the insertion should occur.
+     * @param type One of:
+     *   * A string representing the tag name for the element type to be inserted. The specified name may have a namespace prefix,
+     *     such as svg:text to specify a text attribute in the SVG namespace. If no namespace is specified, the namespace will be inherited
+     *     from the parent element; or, if the name is one of the known prefixes, the corresponding namespace will be used
+     *     (for example, svg implies svg:svg)
+     *   * A creator function which is evaluated for each selected element, in order, being passed the current datum (d),
+     *     the current index (i), and the current group (nodes), with this as the current DOM element. This function should return
+     *     an element to be inserted. (The function typically creates a new element, but it may instead return an existing element.)
+     * @param before One of:
+     *   * A CSS selector string for the element before which the insertion should occur.
+     *   * A child selector function which is evaluated for each selected element, in order, being passed the current datum (d),
+     *     the current index (i), and the current group (nodes), with this as the current DOM element. This function should return the child element
+     *     before which the element should be inserted.
      */
-    insert<ChildElement extends BaseType>(type: string, before: string): Selection<ChildElement, Datum, PElement, PDatum>;
-    /**
-     * Inserts a new element of the type provided by the element creator function before the element matching the specified "before"
-     * selector string for each selected element.
-     *
-     * This method returns a new selection containing the appended elements.
-     * Each new element inherits the data of the current elements, if any.
-     *
-     * The generic refers to the type of the child element to be appended.
-     *
-     * @param type A creator function which is evaluated for each selected element, in order, being passed the current datum (d),
-     * the current index (i), and the current group (nodes), with this as the current DOM element. This function should return
-     * an element to be inserted. (The function typically creates a new element, but it may instead return an existing element.)
-     * @param before A CSS selector string for the element before which the insertion should occur.
-     */
-    insert<ChildElement extends BaseType>(type: ValueFn<GElement, Datum, ChildElement>, before: string): Selection<ChildElement, Datum, PElement, PDatum>;
-    /**
-     * Inserts a new element of the specified type (tag name) before the element returned by the "before" child selector function
-     * for each selected element.
-     *
-     * This method returns a new selection containing the appended elements.
-     * Each new element inherits the data of the current elements, if any.
-     *
-     * The generic refers to the type of the child element to be appended.
-     *
-     * @param type A string representing the tag name for the element type to be inserted. The specified name may have a namespace prefix,
-     * such as svg:text to specify a text attribute in the SVG namespace. If no namespace is specified, the namespace will be inherited
-     * from the parent element; or, if the name is one of the known prefixes, the corresponding namespace will be used
-     * (for example, svg implies svg:svg)
-     * @param before A child selector function which is evaluated for each selected element, in order, being passed the current datum (d),
-     * the current index (i), and the current group (nodes), with this as the current DOM element. This function should return the child element
-     * before which the element should be inserted.
-     */
-    insert<ChildElement extends BaseType>(type: string, before: ValueFn<GElement, Datum, BaseType>): Selection<ChildElement, Datum, PElement, PDatum>;
-    /**
-     * Inserts a new element of the type provided by the element creator function before the element returned by the "before" child selector function
-     * for each selected element.
-     *
-     * This method returns a new selection containing the appended elements.
-     * Each new element inherits the data of the current elements, if any.
-     *
-     * The generic refers to the type of the child element to be appended.
-     *
-     * @param type A creator function which is evaluated for each selected element, in order, being passed the current datum (d),
-     * the current index (i), and the current group (nodes), with this as the current DOM element. This function should return
-     * an element to be inserted. (The function typically creates a new element, but it may instead return an existing element.)
-     * @param before A child selector function which is evaluated for each selected element, in order, being passed the current datum (d),
-     * the current index (i), and the current group (nodes), with this as the current DOM element. This function should return the child element
-     * before which the element should be inserted.
-     */
-    insert<ChildElement extends BaseType>(type: ValueFn<GElement, Datum, ChildElement>, before: ValueFn<GElement, Datum, BaseType>): Selection<ChildElement, Datum, PElement, PDatum>;
+    insert<ChildElement extends BaseType>(
+        type: string | ValueFn<GElement, Datum, ChildElement>,
+        before: string | ValueFn<GElement, Datum, BaseType>
+        ): Selection<ChildElement, Datum, PElement, PDatum>;
 
     /**
      * Removes the selected elements from the document.