as in opportunists
a person who dexterously and expediently changes or adopts opinions
at the summer resort he acquired a reputation as a social chameleon—someone who could be whatever his hosts wanted him to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chameleons
Think of this as the way chameleons change color to blend into their surroundings for protection.
—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
In the middle of this spectrum, a trio of mid-career stylistic chameleons and sometime collaborators — Feid, J Balvin, and Bad Bunny — carefully map out intersecting tastes.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
The Kardashian-Jenner clan are known to be quite the hair chameleons, sometimes debuting a new transformation with every outing.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Today, those invaders have been cleared, and more than 100,000 native saplings have grown into a lush forest cover that’s now home to sunbirds, bulbuls, geckos and chameleons.
—Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2025
There will be a piñata and crafting, including Lele dolls, carnival masks and pipe cleaner chameleons.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
This matters because chameleons hunt by ballistically launching their tongues like slingshots, using a tapered bone in their throat as a ramp.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
The parallels between salamanders and chameleons indicate that the underlying physics does not depend on rare or exotic tissues.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Isolated from the African continent, the island has evolved on its own terms, giving rise to wildlife found nowhere else on Earth—like the aye-aye, lemurs, and rare species of chameleons.
—Erina Pinar, Travel + Leisure, 7 Aug. 2025
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
In the middle of this spectrum, a trio of mid-career stylistic chameleons and sometime collaborators — Feid, J Balvin, and Bad Bunny — carefully map out intersecting tastes.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
The Kardashian-Jenner clan are known to be quite the hair chameleons, sometimes debuting a new transformation with every outing.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Today, those invaders have been cleared, and more than 100,000 native saplings have grown into a lush forest cover that’s now home to sunbirds, bulbuls, geckos and chameleons.
—Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2025
There will be a piñata and crafting, including Lele dolls, carnival masks and pipe cleaner chameleons.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
This matters because chameleons hunt by ballistically launching their tongues like slingshots, using a tapered bone in their throat as a ramp.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
The parallels between salamanders and chameleons indicate that the underlying physics does not depend on rare or exotic tissues.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Isolated from the African continent, the island has evolved on its own terms, giving rise to wildlife found nowhere else on Earth—like the aye-aye, lemurs, and rare species of chameleons.
—Erina Pinar, Travel + Leisure, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chameleons
Noun
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Straight men are just catching up, vanity-wise, and political opportunists have eagerly fed into their insecurities.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The exploitation of American history by Beck and the opportunists in his orbit is nothing new.—
Alexis Coe,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Performances and stunts are delivered by international acrobats and clowns during music and light shows.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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Guests traveling aboard Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas will get the opportunity to see a permanent America's Got Talent LIVE show, featuring a rotating lineup of magicians, acrobats, and singers pulled from the show and its global counterparts.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Hui Manu-o-Kū staff tie blue plastic ribbons around the trunks of trees hosting eggs and chicks to alert tree trimmers to stay clear.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
This includes dog and cat food, cat litter, treats, beds and blankets, food and water bowls, leashes and collars, puppy pads, nail trimmers, and even flea and tick prevention.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chameleons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chameleons. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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