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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of opportunist
Whether Carr really is a hardcore ideologue or simply an opportunist using the ascendant ideology to gain attention is debated in regulatory circles.
—
Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
Like other types of wildlife, such as opossums and skunks, foxes are opportunists and love an easy meal, says Pierce.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 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
While the Tron community sees him as a visionary, his detractors see him as an opportunist who thrives on hype, said Gareth Rhodes, managing director at advisory firm Pacific Street.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunist
Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025
Like other types of wildlife, such as opossums and skunks, foxes are opportunists and love an easy meal, says Pierce.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 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
While the Tron community sees him as a visionary, his detractors see him as an opportunist who thrives on hype, said Gareth Rhodes, managing director at advisory firm Pacific Street.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunist
Noun
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This time, the moment required the Gators (36-4) to become chameleons.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2025
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Newsom, who has a reputation for being a political chameleon, didn’t want to get caught in the minority of what is basically an 80-20 issue.—
Caroline Downey,
National Review,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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And a lot of them are like the rig shark — smaller bottom-feeders, eaten by larger sharks and humans alike.—
Julie Depenbrock,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2025
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And with New York dropping the first two games of what was supposed to be a gimme stretch against bottom-feeders, the Knicks’ margin for error is all but gone.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Only 15 of those animals were meant to be stopped by the nets; the rest were dolphins, rays, turtles and sharks that aren’t considered dangerous.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
10 Apr. 2025
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Megalodons were behemoth sharks that roamed the waters starting 20 million years ago and are now extinct.—
Christine Wusylko,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 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
Cite this Entry
“Opportunist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunist. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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