as in opportunists
a person who dexterously and expediently changes or adopts opinions
at the summer resort he acquired a reputation as a social chameleon—someone who could be whatever his hosts wanted him to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chameleons
Think of this as the way chameleons change color to blend into their surroundings for protection.
—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
In the middle of this spectrum, a trio of mid-career stylistic chameleons and sometime collaborators — Feid, J Balvin, and Bad Bunny — carefully map out intersecting tastes.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
The Kardashian-Jenner clan are known to be quite the hair chameleons, sometimes debuting a new transformation with every outing.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Today, those invaders have been cleared, and more than 100,000 native saplings have grown into a lush forest cover that’s now home to sunbirds, bulbuls, geckos and chameleons.
—Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2025
There will be a piñata and crafting, including Lele dolls, carnival masks and pipe cleaner chameleons.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
This matters because chameleons hunt by ballistically launching their tongues like slingshots, using a tapered bone in their throat as a ramp.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
The parallels between salamanders and chameleons indicate that the underlying physics does not depend on rare or exotic tissues.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Isolated from the African continent, the island has evolved on its own terms, giving rise to wildlife found nowhere else on Earth—like the aye-aye, lemurs, and rare species of chameleons.
—Erina Pinar, Travel + Leisure, 7 Aug. 2025
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
In the middle of this spectrum, a trio of mid-career stylistic chameleons and sometime collaborators — Feid, J Balvin, and Bad Bunny — carefully map out intersecting tastes.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
The Kardashian-Jenner clan are known to be quite the hair chameleons, sometimes debuting a new transformation with every outing.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Today, those invaders have been cleared, and more than 100,000 native saplings have grown into a lush forest cover that’s now home to sunbirds, bulbuls, geckos and chameleons.
—Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2025
There will be a piñata and crafting, including Lele dolls, carnival masks and pipe cleaner chameleons.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
This matters because chameleons hunt by ballistically launching their tongues like slingshots, using a tapered bone in their throat as a ramp.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
The parallels between salamanders and chameleons indicate that the underlying physics does not depend on rare or exotic tissues.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Isolated from the African continent, the island has evolved on its own terms, giving rise to wildlife found nowhere else on Earth—like the aye-aye, lemurs, and rare species of chameleons.
—Erina Pinar, Travel + Leisure, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chameleons
Noun
-
The defense sought to depict the victims as opportunists out for cash, a narrative that didn’t stand up, with the feds pointing out only two of the women were involved in a litany of outstanding lawsuits.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Some of those pushing anti-Jewish invective on the right are opportunists.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Guests traveling aboard Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas will get the opportunity to see a permanent America's Got Talent LIVE show, featuring a rotating lineup of magicians, acrobats, and singers pulled from the show and its global counterparts.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Musicians, face painters, magicians, caricature artists, and aerial acrobats show off their creativity and entertain the masses.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Hedge trimmers may be used to cut many branches or stems at once, making the task relatively quick and manageable.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Clean your trimmers with rubbing alcohol to help prevent pathogens from spreading to the plant.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chameleons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chameleons. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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