stopgap

noun

stop·​gap ˈstäp-ˌgap 

often attributive

: something that serves as a temporary expedient : makeshift

stopgap measures

Synonyms

• expedient
• makeshift

Choose the Right Synonym for stopgap

resource, resort, expedient, shift, makeshift, stopgap mean something one turns to in the absence of the usual means or source of supply.

resource and resort apply to anything one falls back upon.

exhausted all of their resources

a last resort

expedient may apply to any device or contrivance used when the usual one is not at hand or not possible.

a flimsy expedient

shift implies a tentative or temporary imperfect expedient.

desperate shifts to stave off foreclosure

makeshift implies an inferior expedient adopted because of urgent need or allowed through indifference.

old equipment employed as a makeshift

stopgap applies to something used temporarily as an emergency measure.

a new law intended only as a stopgap

Examples of stopgap in a Sentence

The new law is intended only as a stopgap.

the coach we have now was only hired as a stopgap until someone with more experience is found

Recent Examples on the Web

Reich has been brought in as a stopgap measure, to add some stability to a program in dire need of some after the previous coach’s surprise exit. —Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2025

Republicans wanted to support it but were forced to vote it down because the Senate was racing to pass a stopgap funding bill just hours before a shutdown deadline. —Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 Mar. 2025

But Democrats say those negotiations fell apart in late February, as Republicans began to move toward a long-term stopgap that would keep overall funding at mostly the same levels through September. —Aris Folley, The Hill, 18 Mar. 2025

For now, the device is meant to be a stopgap for patients awaiting donor hearts. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stopgap

• bandgap
• bitmap
• blackcap
• blackstrap
• bootstrap
• burlap
• claptrap
• entrap
• foolscap
• kidnap
• kneecap
• madcap

Kids Definition

stopgap

noun

stop·​gap ˈstäp-ˌgap 

: something that fills a gap : a temporary substitute