TEMPORIZERS Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

temporizers

noun

plural of temporizer

as in chameleons

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in machinators

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

altruists

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for temporizers

Noun

Many of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on Earth, among them lemurs, chameleons, and a remarkable variety of birds and reptiles.

— Cherri Briggs, Travel + Leisure, 13 Oct. 2026
In addition to the outbreak associated with jalapeños, there is one linked to eggs, and several tied to animals including backyard chickens and chameleons.

— Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of chameleons

Noun

These sharks are thought to be bottom-feeders, preying on fish that frequent the floors of rivers and estuaries.

— John P. Rafferty, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
The Warriors already might be too far ahead in the standings to catch bottom-feeders like the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers in the race to maximize their draft-lottery odds.

— Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026

Definition of bottom-feeders

Noun

In contrast to the gorgeous monochrome visuals, this is a land that stinks of complicity and delusion — of opportunists desperate to scramble onto the right side of history.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of opportunists

Noun

That’s a true story, although historians are still debating how many of the sailors died of exposure and how many were actually killed by sharks.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
As summer wraps up and fall creeps in, the sharks return south.

— Asia London Palomba, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of sharks

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.

Browse Nearby Words

temporizer

temporizers

temporizes

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Temporizers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temporizers. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of temporizers

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes