as in opportunist
one who does things only for his own benefit and with little regard for right and wrong
that bottom-feeder would run over his own mother if it would help him get ahead in his career
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bottom-feeder
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
The Warriors already might be too far ahead in the standings to catch bottom-feeders like the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers in the race to maximize their draft-lottery odds.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Tomlin wasn’t taking a bottom-feeder job.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
The Mavs dwell among the Western Conference’s bottom-feeders, but no team in either conference presents the sheer volume of storylines as the outfit from Texas’ largest city.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
For nearly the first two decades of their existence, the New Orleans Saints were NFL bottom-feeders.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
Chicago is currently mired in a miserable seven-game losing streak, a confounding skid that includes defeats against NBA bottom-feeders like the New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, and Brooklyn Nets.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
The Patriots brutalized their opponent in a way the only other AFC team truly competing for the No. 1 seed did not while facing another NFC East bottom-feeder Sunday night.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
The Warriors already might be too far ahead in the standings to catch bottom-feeders like the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers in the race to maximize their draft-lottery odds.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Tomlin wasn’t taking a bottom-feeder job.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
The Mavs dwell among the Western Conference’s bottom-feeders, but no team in either conference presents the sheer volume of storylines as the outfit from Texas’ largest city.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
For nearly the first two decades of their existence, the New Orleans Saints were NFL bottom-feeders.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
Chicago is currently mired in a miserable seven-game losing streak, a confounding skid that includes defeats against NBA bottom-feeders like the New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, and Brooklyn Nets.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
The Patriots brutalized their opponent in a way the only other AFC team truly competing for the No. 1 seed did not while facing another NFC East bottom-feeder Sunday night.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottom-feeder
Noun
-
Although burly striker Pio Esposito equalized with an opportunist finish 10 minutes later, the home side picked off Inter with two goals in quick succession in the second half.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
But opportunists in a crowd don’t excuse reckless governance.—
Melissa Derosa,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The annual fledging of seabirds on Hawaii’s French Frigate Shoals attracts tiger sharks, whose presence forces out gray reef and Galapagos sharks.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
-
For theme parks, after all, can jump the shark, so to speak.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 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
Cite this Entry
“Bottom-feeder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottom-feeder. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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