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

This jumbled, makeshift archive reassured her about her own perceptions. — Fern Schumer Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

For a time, a stray tiniest doll served as the Christ Child in a makeshift crèche. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

This will have pleased manager Phil Parkinson, who last season was forced to use Zak Vyner as a makeshift holding midfielder alongside George Dobson as injury and suspension bit in the spring. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

On a recent summer day, loud air conditioners blew cool air as nurses drew blood and tended wounds, calling to mind the makeshift spaces used during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

The beams, in a 32-story project at 222 Broadway expected to yield nearly 800 apartment units, had been wrapped in steel as a makeshift fix, the agency said. — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 30 July 2026

Small changes, like the arrows and the makeshift shelf, have made a huge difference in her shooting and confidence. — Beka Garris, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2026

The figures underscore the worsening conditions amid a surge in gang attacks and the growing vulnerability of Haiti’s gang refugees, many of whom have no choice but to live in makeshift encampments with no doors, lighting or basic security. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

From garage tech to global powerhouse When Russia invaded Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded for foreign military aid from the West and exhorted his countrymen to build makeshift weapons for the resistance. — Thomas Nagorski, Time, 27 July 2026