Synonyms of makeshift

makeshift 1 of 3

adjective

as in new

taking the place of one that came before

turned a towel into a makeshift skirt

Synonyms & Similar Words

• new
• alternative
• alternate
• other
• substitute
• another
• second
• different
• extra
• substitutive
• separate
• improvised
• pinch
• successive
• spare
• equivalent
• utility
• jury

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• first
• original
• former
• same
• permanent
• identical
• equal
• lasting

makeshift

2 of 3

noun

ˈmāk-ˌshift 

as in substitute

a temporary replacement

when his belt broke, he was forced to use string as a makeshift

Synonyms & Similar Words

• substitute
• stopgap
• backup
• refuge
• expedient
• alternate
• stand-in
• recourse
• resort
• quick fix
• standby
• understudy

make shift

3 of 3

phrase

as in cope

to meet one's day-to-day needs

They were able to make shift without borrowing money.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cope
• do
• get on
• get by
• get along
• make out
• manage
• make ends meet
• make do
• survive
• shift
• fare
• carry on
• afford
• fend for oneself
• scrape (by or through)
• eke out
• last
• scrape (out)
• contrive
• scrounge
• squeeze
• wring
• swing
• wrest

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fall short
• fail
• collapse
• flounder
• decline
• slump
• peter (out)
• wane
• fizzle
• give up

Synonym Chooser

How is the word makeshift different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of makeshift are expedient, resort, resource, shift, and stopgap. While all these words mean "something one turns to in the absence of the usual means or source of supply," makeshift implies an inferior expedient adopted because of urgent need or allowed through indifference.

old equipment employed as a makeshift

When is expedient a more appropriate choice than makeshift?

The words expedient and makeshift are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, expedient may apply to any device or contrivance used when the usual one is not at hand or not possible.

a flimsy expedient

How are the words resource and resort related as synonyms of makeshift?

Both resource and resort apply to anything one falls back upon.

exhausted all of their resources

a last resort

Where would shift be a reasonable alternative to makeshift?

Although the words shift and makeshift have much in common, shift implies a tentative or temporary imperfect expedient.

desperate shifts to stave off foreclosure

When could stopgap be used to replace makeshift?

The words stopgap and makeshift can be used in similar contexts, but stopgap applies to something used temporarily as an emergency measure.

a new law intended only as a stopgap

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of makeshift

Adjective

The makeshift ballpark, which hosted the White Sox and Yankees in 2021 and the Cubs and Reds in 2022, now has permanent locker rooms and suites. — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Agent Mulder, hot on the trail of a group of murderers who are harvesting their victims' organs, breaks into a makeshift laboratory in an attempt to save an abducted woman. — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Men are ditching their jackets and campaign brochures serve as makeshift fans. — Debbie Elliott, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026

Four bulbs of a Medusa lamp backlit the makeshift bar wedged underneath the staircase. — Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026

Once their homes are converted into makeshift fortresses of cookie boxes, scouts like Olive, Shannon Elizabeth, Ara, and Nikki—the protagonists of the documentary—get to work selling them. — Bedatri D. Choudhury, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Aug. 2026

Andres Felipe Mejia was among those who joined a makeshift crew. — CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

In this way, visits can serve as a makeshift form of family therapy, with families confronting problems of addiction, parenthood and mental health under conditions that are far from ideal. — Jillian Turanovic, The Conversation, 10 Aug. 2026

Israeli troops have occupied and depopulated two-thirds of the enclave, leaving nearly all its more than 2 million residents confined to a tiny ​strip of land under Hamas control along the coast, most in makeshift tents or damaged buildings. — Steven Scheer, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026