as in aggressive
attentive to and ready to act on opportunities for personal gain or advancement
The opportunistic salesperson was always on the lookout for potential new customers.
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Recent Examples of opportunistic
Some domestic critics accuse Sánchez’s government of opportunistic grandstanding.
—
Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 13 May 2026
Such opportunistic eavesdropping is challenging, because Starlink is consistently optimizing for its primary satellite Internet service by turning beams on and off, or sometimes switching beams as the fast-moving satellites talk to many different users, Kassas explained.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 11 May 2026
Raccoons are clever, opportunistic feeders, eating whatever’s readily available, including plant and animal matter, garbage, pet food, bird seed, vegetable gardens, and eggs from chicken coops.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
Because it was built in an opportunistic, incremental manner with no foresight or intentionality.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 13 May 2026
Such opportunistic eavesdropping is challenging, because Starlink is consistently optimizing for its primary satellite Internet service by turning beams on and off, or sometimes switching beams as the fast-moving satellites talk to many different users, Kassas explained.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 11 May 2026
Raccoons are clever, opportunistic feeders, eating whatever’s readily available, including plant and animal matter, garbage, pet food, bird seed, vegetable gardens, and eggs from chicken coops.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
Because it was built in an opportunistic, incremental manner with no foresight or intentionality.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunistic
Adjective
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That, in turn, catalyzed the most aggressive Fed rate-hiking cycle ever and a bear market.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
-
Carolina’s penalty kill is extremely aggressive all over the ice.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
There’s yet another reason to be diligent with your daily SPF.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
14 May 2026
-
In the end, after a monthslong investigation and diligent forensic work, partial remains of 70 of the 110 victims were identified and returned to family members who, to this day, carry the pain of that day in 1996.—
Hank Tester,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Created by Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse and John Kander, the musical follows Roxie Hart, an aspiring performer who finds herself at the center of a sensational murder trial in 1920s Chicago.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
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Charismatic hockey star Dean and aspiring actress Allie lead the third Off-Campus book, The Score.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
While the floor-to-ceiling windows in each room provide an industrious look at Atlanta’s train systems, juxtaposed with the bright lights of the bustling Howell Mill Road corridor.—
Mike Jordan,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 May 2026
-
The pop of gloves and laughter of children rang through the field for a while — until a few industrious boys and girls got their manos on bolígrafos.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Their younger son’s back issues are indeed the least of the family’s problems, especially when a deal made with a more enterprising neighboring farmer winds up going bust.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
-
The second-youngest of eight children, Gordy hailed from an enterprising Detroit family with Georgia plantation roots, including several sisters who had carved successful business paths.—
Brian McCollum,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Winona Fighter quickly made a name for itself with its dynamic live shows and DIY spirit, which attract large crowds and have drawn the attention of the Summer School founders.—
Charlie Vargas,
Daily News,
4 June 2026
-
Around him, Porte’s drums and Martyn’s synths and effects drift and glide; the repetitive structure is reminiscent of club music, but the perpetual slippage signals more dynamic ways of moving.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opportunistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunistic. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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