temporizer

1
as in chameleon
a person who dexterously and expediently changes or adopts opinions the kind of temporizer who determines his position on a political issue by taking a look at the polls

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2
as in machinator
one who does things only for his own benefit and with little regard for right and wrong a lifelong temporizer, he was for the war as long as it was popular and against it the minute the tide of public opinion went the other way

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for temporizer
Noun
  • In other words, being a chameleon and adapting to different employees and workplace scenarios can be more effective than having a static set of values and strategies.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
  • That led me to David Bowie and Ziggy Stardust, and Bowie being a chameleon, and a bit of Chaplin.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Here’s one out-of-the-box name who fits the high-motor description: Tony Vitello, who transformed the University of Tennessee from a bottom-feeder in the Southeastern Conference into perhaps the brashest and most talented program in the country.
    Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Here are some methods for scraping good music from the data wasteland, organized in a hierarchy from bottom-feeder basics to more sophisticated and ultimately, uhh, harebrained strategies.
    Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 31 July 2025
Noun
  • So there’s really no room for Moulton, who is seen more of an opportunist by Massachusetts political players.
    Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The Jags are equal opportunists in their one-score adventures.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • When the shark measuring about 10 feet didn’t fit through the door, Mucerino and Burress got a bite of inspiration.
    Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Most sharks, of course, slice and dice tuna and other fishes, and occasionally the rare human.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Temporizer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temporizer. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

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