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as in opportunity
something that one uses to accomplish an end especially when the usual means is not available we used every possible resource to raise the funds needed to save our town's oldest house

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word resource different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of resource are expedient, makeshift, resort, shift, and stopgap. While all these words 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

When can expedient be used instead of resource?

The synonyms expedient and resource are sometimes interchangeable, but expedient may apply to any device or contrivance used when the usual one is not at hand or not possible.

a flimsy expedient

When could makeshift be used to replace resource?

The meanings of makeshift and resource largely overlap; however, makeshift implies an inferior expedient adopted because of urgent need or allowed through indifference.

old equipment employed as a makeshift

Where would shift be a reasonable alternative to resource?

While in some cases nearly identical to resource, shift implies a tentative or temporary imperfect expedient.

desperate shifts to stave off foreclosure

When is stopgap a more appropriate choice than resource?

Although the words stopgap and resource have much in common, stopgap applies to something used temporarily as an emergency measure.

a new law intended only as a stopgap

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of resource How the team views moving on or reallocating resources around those players will be talking points this week, but the most interesting will surround safety Geno Stone. Paul Dehner Jr., The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025 Russia doesn’t have the resources to fight indefinitely against that kind of organization and determination. Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2025 Sharon Yeshaya Morgan Stanley CFO Today, the Wharton graduate leads a team of thousands managing the financial resources of a firm that holds over a trillion dollars on its balance sheet and manages trillions more for clients. Alexandra Ferreyros, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025 That scarcest — and most precious — of the world’s resources: character. Stephanie Petit, People.com, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for resource

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Cite this Entry

“Resource.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/resource. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on resource

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