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
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
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
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Such disingenuous opportunists should be shunned and condemned.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
7 Oct. 2025
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That liminal space is a perfect breeding ground for pitchmen and opportunists.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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They were treated with a spectacle in five acts that included dancers, cheerleaders, acrobats, a mascot, a live music performance and even a marching band.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
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Singers Jessica Sanchez, Jourdan Blue and the Leo High School Choir Choir are safe, as are improv Rapper Chris Turner, projectionists LightWire, and acrobats Sirca Marea.—
Lars Brandle,
Billboard,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Perched inside bucket trucks — or occasionally climbing up ropes into the canopies — tree trimmers cut branches about 15 feet back from the power lines, sawing off enough growth to keep the lines clear for about five years.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
17 Sep. 2025
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The grandfather also showed him the sorry sight of contemporary hedges deformed by diabolical flail trimmers that chewed the natural architecture of branches into an anarchy of twigs.—
Annie Proulx,
New Yorker,
10 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chameleons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chameleons. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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