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

The Senate approved funding for DHS but not immigration enforcement and deportation operations, while the House approved a stopgap spending measure that would fully fund DHS through May 22. —Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026

Whether Arizona opens 2026 with a veteran stopgap or leans fully into a rebuild, Beck represents bridge potential without overwhelming investment, exactly what a third‑round pick should be. —Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

However House Republicans rejected the proposal, instead approving a short-term stopgap to fund the entire Department of Homeland Security for eight weeks. —Mason Leib, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026

The House of Representatives on March 27 passed a stopgap funding bill for the agency largely along party lines, 213-203. —Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 28 Mar. 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