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 morning appetite is a different animal from its midday and evening counterparts; there is no growing anticipation, no gradual negotiation, no consideration of snacks or other stopgaps.
—
Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
What’s heightening the crisis is that stopgaps typically used to offset supply shocks have been rendered moot.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
The Sharks have long needed to upgrade on defense, but the preference should be toward finding longer-term solutions than the current stopgaps.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
At the moment, staffers at Mission Valley are relying on stopgaps like plugging a long extension cord into a nearby fire station for power.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025
The 29-year-old Russell and even the 33-year-old Irving are stopgaps.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
The agency did not answer questions about state-level stopgaps.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
The competing stopgaps had already failed to pass in five previous votes.
—Kevin Breuninger,erin Doherty, CNBC, 8 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
Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
What’s heightening the crisis is that stopgaps typically used to offset supply shocks have been rendered moot.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
The Sharks have long needed to upgrade on defense, but the preference should be toward finding longer-term solutions than the current stopgaps.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
At the moment, staffers at Mission Valley are relying on stopgaps like plugging a long extension cord into a nearby fire station for power.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025
The 29-year-old Russell and even the 33-year-old Irving are stopgaps.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
The agency did not answer questions about state-level stopgaps.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
The competing stopgaps had already failed to pass in five previous votes.
—Kevin Breuninger,erin Doherty, CNBC, 8 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stopgaps
substitutes
Noun
-
James Milner featuring prominently in rondos between the substitutes before last Saturday’s 3-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers was a significant signal about the present and the future for Brighton & Hove Albion’s ‘old guard’.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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Here are our best ginger substitutes, both fresh and ground.—
Kelsey Ogletree,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stopgaps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stopgaps. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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