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

Ukrainian authorities recovered Berezovska’s body three days later, having been led to her makeshift grave by Reut after he was tracked down by investigators. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile, above ground, Scott Fox had joined the rescue effort, despite having retired nine months earlier from Rescue 5, as the FDNY formed makeshift companies out of surviving firefighters. — ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 2026

Elsewhere, hundreds of women and minors were sheltering in makeshift centers run by locals. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

An open lot behind the Family Life Community Center was transformed into a makeshift pantry this week, with dozens of people lining up for shelf-stable food to help get them through the weekend as their own kitchen stockpiles run thin. — Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

As the war raged on, this makeshift countermeasure was replaced by more sanitary and effective innovations, including gauze pads soaked in hyposulfite solution, flannel hoods, tube helmets, and box respirators. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026

In a makeshift audition booth assembled in a far corner on the ground floor of the Los Angeles Convention Center, a steady stream of K-pop lovers took their shot this past weekend. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026

Path to coexistence At Ar-Rihiya, a village of squat homes built along the slopes of a steep hill, hundreds have gathered for the makeshift circus set up under a black tarp. — Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026

That narrow-mindedness is immediately apparent when Nick asks his congregation to help the group of unhoused people, a little over a dozen souls or so, who live in a makeshift camp on the edge of town. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026