stopgap

[stop-gap]

noun

1. something that fills the place of something else that is lacking; temporary substitute; makeshift.

   Candles are a stopgap when the electricity fails.

adjective

1. makeshift.

   This is only a stopgap solution.

   Synonyms: impromptu, substitute, temporary, improvised

stopgap

/ ˈstɒpˌɡæp /

noun

1. 1. a temporary substitute for something else

   2. ( as modifier )

      a stopgap programme

Word History and Origins

Origin of stopgap¹

First recorded in 1525–35; noun, adj. use of verb phrase stop a gap

Example Sentences

A new law in Texas could provide something of a stopgap, Garza said.

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A limited number of friends and relatives would struggle to provide unpaid stopgap care to aging adults.

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While the Senate passed a stopgap funding bill to reopen the government Monday, it still has to be voted on in the House.

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Thomas Massie of Kentucky has repeatedly voted against such stopgap funding extensions.

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They settled on a message: No Democratic votes for a stopgap funding measure to keep the government open without Affordable Care Act subsidies.

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Related Words

• Band-Aid