opportunists

plural of opportunist
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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of opportunists 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 Stop electing these opportunists, and please run candidates that care about our state and its citizens. Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2025 With the landscape so distorted by the high rollers and opportunists, many displaced by the Palisades fire don’t even stand a chance on the West Side. Bridget Read, Curbed, 15 Jan. 2025 Governor Gavin Newsom has deployed the California National Guard and military police to LA County to protect residents from looters, arsonists, and other criminal opportunists. John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025 The confusion surrounding Holmes stands as a cautionary tale about the manipulation of copyright law—not by opportunists exploiting a valuable piece of intellectual property, but by the character’s official custodians. Alec Nevala-Lee, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunists
Noun
  • 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
Noun
  • Nearby Mystic Aquarium is a standout with beluga whales, sharks, African penguins, seals, sea lions, and more.
    Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Whitney noted that most people bitten by sharks die from blood loss, not from being eaten or carried away.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Opportunists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunists. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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