1
as in chameleon
a person who dexterously and expediently changes or adopts opinions
ever the opportunist, she immediately set about becoming the incoming administrator's new best friend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in bottom-feeder
one who does things only for his own benefit and with little regard for right and wrong
an opportunist who makes friends and then drops them as soon as they aren't useful anymore
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 opportunist
Farage has instituted a May 7 deadline for prospective Conservative defectors to officially switch to Reform, warning that his party will not be open to last-minute opportunists seeking to court his growing support base closer to election time.
—
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 26 Jan. 2026
Thousands of players entered the portal this cycle and the sport’s biggest opportunists (and spenders) were active early.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
On the other side, the Reverend Al Sharpton, a corpulent, demagogic presence, took up the victims’ cause, and was seen by some as a radical, and by almost everyone as an opportunist.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
The movie follows a group of petty cheats, liars and drunks who are duped by nefarious opportunists who visit their crumbling town.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opportunist
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 26 Jan. 2026
Thousands of players entered the portal this cycle and the sport’s biggest opportunists (and spenders) were active early.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
On the other side, the Reverend Al Sharpton, a corpulent, demagogic presence, took up the victims’ cause, and was seen by some as a radical, and by almost everyone as an opportunist.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
The movie follows a group of petty cheats, liars and drunks who are duped by nefarious opportunists who visit their crumbling town.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opportunist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunist
Noun
-
But perhaps the most engaging aspect of Mario is his chameleon-like ability to remain at the same time personable and, ultimately, a blank slate.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Cauliflower is a cruciferous chameleon.—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These sharks are thought to be bottom-feeders, preying on fish that frequent the floors of rivers and estuaries.—
John P. Rafferty,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Games against real teams will reveal far more about the Magic’s mindset than any blowout over a bottom-feeder.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Two dead sharks were found stranded on North Carolina beaches during Spring Break, and researchers aren’t sure what killed them.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Drugged and dangerous Scientists found cocaine, caffeine and painkillers in sharks around Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Pollution.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Thus the self-seekers and the doctrinaires were drawn together into an alliance to maintain the status quo, and all its abuses and inequalities were made sacrosanct.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Dec. 2011
Noun
-
Fittingly, the song’s thumping beat is heard twice, real loud, in Rosebush Pruning, Karim Aїnouz’s high-gloss, pitch-dark satire about an American family described by one of its scions as mediocre, vapid egotists, who will never have to work thanks to a large inheritance.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The former vice-president’s characterizations of peers such as Pete Buttigieg (talented but too gay for the America to accept as her running mate), and Josh Shapiro (an egoist) are not particularly juicy, but have already caused bad blood.—
Book Marks
September 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
-
His characters come off as feisty egoists who enjoy sparring and comparing the size of their ambitions.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
13 May 2025
Noun
-
Thomas Jefferson, the great hero of the Declaration of Independence, is shown as hypocritical, cowardly, manipulative, a schemer of every kind.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The standout is Jack Davenport, playing Soames’ father James as a shameless schemer, bent on frustrating his brother’s side of the family by any means necessary.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opportunist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunist. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
