as in makeshifts
a temporary replacement
the coach we have now was only hired as a stopgap until someone with more experience is found
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Recent Examples of stopgaps
The competing stopgaps had already failed to pass in five previous votes.
—
Kevin Breuninger,erin Doherty, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
The defensive line — featuring one good player (Zach Sieler), two mediocre stopgaps (Benito Jones, Matthew Butler) and two rookies who are in way over their heads (Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips) — might be the worst in football.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
If Congress does not pass funding legislation or temporary stopgaps, known as continuing resolutions, federal agencies must shut down or stop normal spending, according to the United States Office of Personnel Management.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Senate Democrats have floated a procedural arrangement that would allow both measures—the Republican and Democratic stopgaps—to receive votes next week.
—Nik Popli, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
Many residents who lose housing still have their cars — which can be essential to keeping a job — and the lots are meant to serve as stopgaps until more permanent places are found.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Foreign systems such as the Rapier and Stinger continue to serve as stopgaps.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
However, officials stress that these measures are stopgaps.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Kevin Breuninger,erin Doherty, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
The defensive line — featuring one good player (Zach Sieler), two mediocre stopgaps (Benito Jones, Matthew Butler) and two rookies who are in way over their heads (Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips) — might be the worst in football.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
If Congress does not pass funding legislation or temporary stopgaps, known as continuing resolutions, federal agencies must shut down or stop normal spending, according to the United States Office of Personnel Management.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Senate Democrats have floated a procedural arrangement that would allow both measures—the Republican and Democratic stopgaps—to receive votes next week.
—Nik Popli, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
Many residents who lose housing still have their cars — which can be essential to keeping a job — and the lots are meant to serve as stopgaps until more permanent places are found.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Foreign systems such as the Rapier and Stinger continue to serve as stopgaps.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025
However, officials stress that these measures are stopgaps.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stopgaps
substitutes
Noun
-
The good news is that there are safer substitutes that can be used by the industry as more manufacturers move to reduce toxins, Glass said.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
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But high-tech substitutes aren't ready.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stopgaps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stopgaps. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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