1
as in chameleons
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-feeders
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 opportunists
That sluggish growth deepened religious and ethnic fault lines and allowed political opportunists to foment violence, forcing the authorities to focus on maintaining stability rather than spur economic transformation.
—
Amaka Anku, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2025
The Jags are equal opportunists in their one-score adventures.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Such disingenuous opportunists should be shunned and condemned.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
That liminal space is a perfect breeding ground for pitchmen and opportunists.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Freelance hunters planning to travel to this region should plan on being opportunists.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2025
With the deadline for New York’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act expiring tomorrow, opportunists are scrambling to file last-minute, meritless claims.
—Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 28 Feb. 2025
This lack of faith (and outright animus) toward institutions and public servants has allowed grifters, would-be oligarchs, and cynical political opportunists to fill the void.
—Adam Chandler, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
In practice, leaders will need to be mindful opportunists.
—World Economic Forum, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Amaka Anku, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2025
The Jags are equal opportunists in their one-score adventures.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Such disingenuous opportunists should be shunned and condemned.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
That liminal space is a perfect breeding ground for pitchmen and opportunists.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Freelance hunters planning to travel to this region should plan on being opportunists.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2025
With the deadline for New York’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act expiring tomorrow, opportunists are scrambling to file last-minute, meritless claims.
—Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 28 Feb. 2025
This lack of faith (and outright animus) toward institutions and public servants has allowed grifters, would-be oligarchs, and cynical political opportunists to fill the void.
—Adam Chandler, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
In practice, leaders will need to be mindful opportunists.
—World Economic Forum, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunists
Noun
-
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
Noun
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Plot details are very hazy, but the word on the street is that the story centers on a ne’er-do-well smuggler who finds himself in the middle of a deadly double-cross while on a job in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in him surrounded by bodies, hostile mercenaries and thirsty sharks alike.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
-
And while catch and release has become popular with plenty of species from bonefish, tarpon, and permit to smallmouth bass, walleye, and even sharks, few species dominate the catch-and-release culture quite like trout.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opportunists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunists. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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