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
It hadn't been fired and had a scope attached to it in a makeshift manner using electrical tape. Greg Allen, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025 The latest scramble completed, punctuating the next step in searching for a program-defining victory, Kelvin Durham took both hands and turned them into makeshift ear muffs while sauntering to the sideline. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 6 Sep. 2025 All of this is set within a universe of performances, hosted everywhere from backyards and a fair to a makeshift club and a larger theater. Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025 By Thursday, passersby had created a makeshift memorial just beyond the Calçada da Glória, leaving bouquets of flowers under barricade tape set up by emergency workers. Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025 Khadija underwent a clandestine cesarean in a makeshift clinic only for her baby to die hours later. Charlie Campbell, Time, 4 Sep. 2025 Before turning on the water for the field, the foreman of Tibbitts’ farm fretted building a makeshift levee to keep the water from running too deep at the field’s lowest point. Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025 Before first responders arrived, a neighbor had applied a makeshift tourniquet to help control the bleeding. Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025 Bianca Jones Denver, CO Let the rain become a style moment, and work that makeshift rain cover like a cape. Matt Nager, Outside, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for makeshift
Adjective
  • That new equalized funding formula went into effect after a three-year transition period in 2024, when 44 groups each got $9,269, according to the three-year awards report.
    Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Swiss transportation company Twiliner is kicking off a new night bus service later this year that will be more akin to a business class airline seat than your typical bus.
    Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • So flavorful is Mendel that 3BR often uses it as a substitute for gin in cocktails made in the distillery tasting room.
    Don Tse, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Material World is a weekly roundup of innovations and ideas within the materials sector, covering news from emerging biomaterials and alternative leathers to sustainable substitutes and future-proof fibers.
    Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • If not covered, check alternative options like FEMA assistance or other reimbursement programs.
    Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Tenant downstairs has the freedom to wear earplugs or seek alternative living arrangements.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Appropriators are working behind the scenes to craft a yearlong bipartisan spending plan but are likely to need another stopgap funding measure to avoid a shutdown, which will require at least seven Democrats to cross the aisle and break a 60-vote filibuster.
    Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The states are not discussing a stopgap agreement that could hold off federal decisionmaking, Buschatzke said.
    Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The total includes viewing via the YouTube app YouTube TV, the main telecast and alternate feeds featuring YouTube creators.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
  • For every critical appointment, set alternate meeting schemes.
    Arpit Jain, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Photograph and cloud-backup your insurance documents and IDs.
    Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
  • However, Dart will begin the year as his backup over Jameis Winston.
    Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Lopez noted and mocked Johnson’s comments, sarcastically asking why the mayor didn’t blame it on other historic phenomena.
    Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Additional locations may experience flooding during periods of heavy rainfall, high winds, or other factors.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Makeshift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/makeshift. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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