temporizer

Definition of temporizernext
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
  • There are snakes and frogs, turtles and fish, even a chameleon.
    Bo Evans, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Chapter 2 portrayed Alejandro’s transition into life as a famous Latin music star navigating the pressures, routines and chameleon-like shifts of a successful career.
    Cata Balzano, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Notre Dame men's hoops has become a bottom-feeder in the ACC under Micah Shrewsberry, with a losing record in each of his three seasons, and its best players bolted for better NIL opportunities in the spring.
    Pete Sampson, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • Use worms fished right on the bottom to entice the subtle-striking bottom-feeders.
    Chad Mason, Outdoor Life, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • Some amalgam of fan input, ticket sales, ratings, and media outrage determines what’s right and wrong, and this collective taste shifts more slowly than the behavior of front-office opportunists.
    Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Musk, as the documentary makes clear, is a genuine if flawed technocratic visionary, a messianic opportunist, and something of a crackpot.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • There are groups for lifters, ravers, soccer players, mahjong aficionados, pool sharks, and the neurodivergent.
    E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • When life gives your town sharks, make shark-spotting profitable.
    Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
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 21 Sep. 2026.

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