1
as in chameleon
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-feeder
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 opportunist
At the top, the national MAGA movement was full of opportunists, mostly male, some of whom had been polished by Ivy League degrees: J. D. Vance, Josh Hawley, Ron DeSantis, Trump himself.
—
Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Retail stores could also benefit from adding another dimension to product displays or checkout desks, though the device doesn't come with a lock slot for easy security so store owners will have to get inventive or risk opportunist theft.
—New Atlas, 12 Dec. 2024
By making his kids stand arm-in-arm on decisions regarding his wealth, Buffett ensures opportunists won’t be able to exploit the family resources.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2024
Boris, an adept opportunist, would need to change only his outfit to become a modern politician.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for opportunist 
Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Retail stores could also benefit from adding another dimension to product displays or checkout desks, though the device doesn't come with a lock slot for easy security so store owners will have to get inventive or risk opportunist theft.
—New Atlas, 12 Dec. 2024
By making his kids stand arm-in-arm on decisions regarding his wealth, Buffett ensures opportunists won’t be able to exploit the family resources.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2024
Boris, an adept opportunist, would need to change only his outfit to become a modern politician.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for opportunist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunist
Noun
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The hair chameleon has been know to embrace a bob over the years.—
Luke Chinman,
People.com,
30 Dec. 2024
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Feliz plays Samantha Reed who has been trained by her father to be a weapons expert, skilled martial artist and true chameleon all while hiding a mysterious past.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Along with Dan Campbell, Glenn helped Detroit go from bottom-feeders to Super Bowl contenders.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
24 Jan. 2025
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This wasn’t the Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz or other bottom-feeder team the New York Knicks have faced in recent weeks.—
James L. Edwards III,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
Noun
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As sharks generally share the same core set of olfactory receptors across different species—regardless of their different habitats and lifestyles—the natural deterrent has the potential to work across the majority of shark species.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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According to the outlet, a ping means the Smart Position and Temperature Transmitting (SPOT) tag attached to the shark’s dorsal fin remained above water for a brief period as the animal swam, transmitting a near-live location signal to the OCEARCH shark tracker.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA TODAY,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
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At times, egoists can approach absurdity and drag their countries into outright disaster.—
Daniel Byman,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Oct. 2019
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McCarthy’s difficulties highlighted the power of hard-right extremists and social-media egoists among the fragile Republican majority in the House.—
Steve Coll,
The New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near opportunist
Cite this Entry
“Opportunist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunist. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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