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
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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
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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
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According to data gathered by Fusable – a risk assessment firm, chameleon carriers are four times more likely to be involved in a crash like this….—
Ashley Velie,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Per photos shared by TMZ, the hair chameleon ditched her signature natural waves for the night out, instead styling her honey blonde lob in tight yet voluminous ringlets.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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Supporters of the bill argue that the shark has a rich history in Maryland, with fossils and teeth often found in the Calvert Cliffs area.—
Tara Lynch,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Everything in the movie, from the chomping shark attacks that churn up the waves with Hawaiian Punch foam to the way a humongous great white meets her fate at the end, takes an obvious page from Steven Spielberg’s gambits and techniques.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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His characters come off as feisty egoists who enjoy sparring and comparing the size of their ambitions.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
13 May 2025
Noun
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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
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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 15 Apr. 2026.
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