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

Even a one-year stopgap could prevent public transit cuts. —Jackson Potter, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025

With 11 more appropriations bills to consider in the House, all dozen needing votes in the Senate, and a bipartisan, bicameral top-line agreement nowhere in sight, the prospect of Congress needing to pass a stopgap when the Sept. 30 deadline arrives is becoming more and more likely. —Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 23 June 2025

With Congress expected to slash federal aid soon, and with the latest state budget employing stopgap measures to comply with caps, that debate likely will resume soon. —Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2025

This stopgap measure was completed through personal efforts and with workers volunteering their time without pay. —Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 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