makeshift 1 of 3

makeshift

2 of 3

noun

as in substitute
a temporary replacement when his belt broke, he was forced to use string as a makeshift

Synonyms & Similar Words

make shift

3 of 3

phrase

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of makeshift
Adjective
The deputy was seen on video struggling through makeshift barricades of mattresses and furniture before confronting Camacho, who was holding the boy in a chokehold with one hand while brandishing a knife in the other. Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025 With Rico Dowdle starting at running back for the first time since Week 6, Carolina’s offense was able to move the ball effectively on the ground, even with a makeshift offensive line missing multiple starters. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025 There is a makeshift refugee camp of people who rode out the storm, but nothing remains standing. Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025 Vargas floated groups of migrants across the informal border crossing between Guatemala and Mexico on a makeshift raft made from wooden boards lashed to fat inner tubes. Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 29 Oct. 2025 Kittle presented a makeshift torch to McCaffrey informing of the nomination for his honoring and supporting of the military. Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025 And then longer at the back with makeshift layers. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025 As the latter stomped down the catwalk, Anok gave Gabbriette a makeshift haircut. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2025 On Saturday, the makeshift vessel of wooden planks on pontoons with a wooden rudder, beached in the choppy surf off the Martin County island, prompting the sheriff’s office to issue a statement on social media. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for makeshift
Adjective
  • When the humans return, there are only a handful, better clothed, hair braided and combed, new fashions.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • In September, Vanity Fair wrote a story detailing new revelations around his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson’s correspondence with the disgraced financier.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • In Normal, Odenkirk plays an unassuming substitute sheriff with a troubled past who, after moving to a small, sleepy town, responds to a bank robbery and unknowingly uncovers something far more explosive.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Do not take this as a substitute for sitting down with someone in a white coat to tell you what’s what.
    Quispe López, Them., 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • If traditional evergreens and spruce needles aren’t your thing, opt for an alternative garland instead.
    Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2025
  • There are alternative sources for jobs data, such as ADP’s private-sector payrolls and proxies produced by the Chicago Fed, which Goolsbee oversees, but few good ways to track consumer prices.
    Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • House Republicans last month passed a seven-week stopgap funding bill, known as a continuing resolution.
    Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Many members in both parties support passing regular spending bills instead of governing by stopgap bills, but the health care subsidies remain a huge sticking point.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • But the alternate tariff routes don’t provide the same speed, scale or flexibility the IEEPA does and would not fully recover the revenue lost, JPMorgan said in a note.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
  • An endless array of alternate uniforms ensures the viewer is never quite certain which team is which.
    Steve Rushin, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • This week’s episode — which had a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame theme — resulted in Danielle Fishel getting sent home, while Jen Affleck and former Taylor Swift backup dancer Jan Ravnik were eliminated the week before that.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Briny oysters are the star of this dish with little backup needed.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The research team underlined that the future work will explore other co-intercalants and optimize electrolytes for even wider temperature ranges.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
  • That’s a significant contrast to other parts of the Forbidden City, marked by wide open spaces intended to represent the grandeur of imperial power and territory.
    Fred He, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Makeshift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/makeshift. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

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