stopgap

noun

stop·​gap ˈstäp-ˌgap 

often attributive

: something that serves as a temporary expedient : makeshift

stopgap measures

Synonyms of stopgap

• 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

That move came just as the clock was running out Friday on stopgap levies the president imposed after a stinging defeat for other tariffs at the Supreme Court. — ABC News, 24 July 2026

That, however, was merely a stopgap put in place after the Supreme Court ruling, as Section 122 of the Act specifies that such import surcharges can only be prescribed over 150 days unless Congress extends it. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 24 July 2026

If Democrats block a stopgap bill, Thune will face plenty of problems with his fallback approach of passing a party-line spending bill to fund some of the government this fall. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 July 2026

This has led many organizations to fall back on philanthropic funding sources as a stopgap, intensifying competition for those opportunities. — Felicia Cumings Smith, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1691, 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