stopgap

noun

stop·​gap ˈstäp-ˌgap 

often attributive

: something that serves as a temporary expedient : makeshift

stopgap measures

Synonyms

• substitute
• makeshift
• backup

Choose the Right Synonym for stopgap

resource, resort, expedient, shift, makeshift, stopgap mean something one turns to in the absence of the usual means or source of supply.

resource and resort apply to anything one falls back upon.

exhausted all of their resources

a last resort

expedient may apply to any device or contrivance used when the usual one is not at hand or not possible.

a flimsy expedient

shift implies a tentative or temporary imperfect expedient.

desperate shifts to stave off foreclosure

makeshift implies an inferior expedient adopted because of urgent need or allowed through indifference.

old equipment employed as a makeshift

stopgap applies to something used temporarily as an emergency measure.

a new law intended only as a stopgap

Examples of stopgap in a Sentence

The new law is intended only as a stopgap.

the coach we have now was only hired as a stopgap until someone with more experience is found

Recent Examples on the Web

Extending the lease at the Civic was a stopgap to avoid sending clients back to homelessness. —Ashley Hiruko, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2025

The defensive line — featuring one good player (Zach Sieler), two mediocre stopgaps (Benito Jones, Matthew Butler) and two rookies who are in way over their heads (Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips) — might be the worst in football. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025

Some states, including Wisconsin, used pandemic relief funds as a stopgap to offset the losses. —Ashley Luthern, jsonline.com, 4 Oct. 2025

But as midnight that day passed without a vote on a spending plan, lawmakers bought themselves some time with a stopgap funding plan to avert a partial government shutdown for a week. —Clara Hendrickson, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stopgap

• bandgap
• bitmap
• blackcap
• blackstrap
• bootstrap
• burlap
• claptrap
• entrap
• foolscap
• kidnap
• kneecap
• madcap

Kids Definition

stopgap

noun

stop·​gap ˈstäp-ˌgap 

: something that fills a gap : a temporary substitute