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
Friday’s Rams were 2024 peak Rammies again — physical on offense, relentless on defense, desperate, dangerous, opportunistic and refreshingly fun.
—
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2025
Travis Etienne’s running and an opportunistic defense have helped the Jaguars turn things around this season.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2025
The Bulls slowed their tempo in the second half and seemed to let up – and Charlotte’s defense continued to be opportunistic.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
And so the Met’s general manager, the nimbly opportunistic Peter Gelb, recently struck a $100 million deal with Saudi Arabia to supply Riyadh’s new opera house with three weeks’ worth of performances each year and a dose of possibly obsolete cachet.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2025
Travis Etienne’s running and an opportunistic defense have helped the Jaguars turn things around this season.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2025
The Bulls slowed their tempo in the second half and seemed to let up – and Charlotte’s defense continued to be opportunistic.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
And so the Met’s general manager, the nimbly opportunistic Peter Gelb, recently struck a $100 million deal with Saudi Arabia to supply Riyadh’s new opera house with three weeks’ worth of performances each year and a dose of possibly obsolete cachet.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunistic
Adjective
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Being passive aggressive and giving non-committal responses is clearly not working.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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But even with the aggressive approach, the talent gap was evident.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Daria watched their diligent ascent while Andrés studied the map on his phone.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
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The Hunt After years of diligent saving, a longtime renter with a $300,000 budget weighed whether to take his parents’ advice and return to his childhood building in Elmhurst, or branch out.—
Dan Levin,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Reflecting on his meteoric rise from construction sites, Grogan tells the next generation of aspiring entrepreneurs that real-world experience—not lectures—shapes success.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
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Starring opposite Gwyneth Paltrow, Chalamet is slated to play Marty Mauser (a role seemingly inspired by professional ping pong player Marty Reisman), who’s an aspiring ping-pong player with dreams of stardom.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Gardeners know pollinators are essential, especially those industrious bees buzzing tirelessly in and out of squash blossoms and trumpet vines.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
6 Oct. 2025
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Near the burial, archaeologists also found Roman pottery kilns that showed the domestic and industrious side of Roman Leicester, according to the release.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In California, some enterprising individuals put monkeys on display, charging for a look at their antics.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
21 Sep. 2025
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Some enterprising software developers are hanging out a shingle offering their services as a cleanup specialist.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For parents and leaders, the CLA is a framework that explains how dynamic systems (like people) work.—
Joe Boylan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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But much of his story focuses on Spears and their tumultuous romance, from the whirlwind of attention to their inevitably contentious dynamic.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opportunistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunistic. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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