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
  • The alternative story of Helen’s Egyptian detour invites a more critical examination of the relationship between war and story by highlighting the degree to which humans have been conditioned by a narrative that presents war as the ultimate stage for personal and national glory.
    Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Second, the government data flow has been choppy in October, but alternative indicators and prior releases still point to slower growth alongside inflation that remains above target but trending less sticky at the margin.
    Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Nathan Posner | Anadolu | Getty Images The largest union representing federal workers on Monday called for Democrats in Congress to end the ongoing government shutdown by voting for the stopgap funding measure that Republicans have proposed.
    Dan Mangan, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Government Shutdown Last week, the Senate attempted—and failed for the 12th time—to pass a stopgap funding measure that would keep the government running through November 21 at existing funding levels.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 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
  • Veteran backup Andy Dalton filled in for Young against Buffalo and produced more turnovers (3) than scoring drives (2).
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The situation is likely to seem even more bizarre to some people, after a video was released Tuesday, showing Perry picking up a birthday cake presented to her by her Lifetimes Tour backup dancers and smashing it on the ground.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Times’ error immediately garnered write-ups in The Washington Post, The New York Times, New York Magazine, and other outlets.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Those same records also showed that the only other purchases of BAM in the state of Colorado had been from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency and the National Parks Service — both of which maintained careful records of any use of the drug, per the indictment.
    Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Makeshift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/makeshift. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on makeshift

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!