as in aggressive
attentive to and ready to act on opportunities for personal gain or advancement
The opportunistic salesperson was always on the lookout for potential new customers.
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Recent Examples of opportunistic
Steller sea lions are opportunistic predators that hunt mostly at night and feed on more than 100 species of fish — Atka mackerel, pollock, salmon and cod among them — plus cephalopods like squid and octopus.
—
Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
Steller sea lions are opportunistic hunters that feed on a wide range of prey.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Throughout its three decades, this company has always been opportunistic.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
These have all been opportunistic samples from taxidermists.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
Steller sea lions are opportunistic hunters that feed on a wide range of prey.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Throughout its three decades, this company has always been opportunistic.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
These have all been opportunistic samples from taxidermists.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunistic
Adjective
-
Gone was the meek servant child, replaced by a confident woman who remained composed during aggressive cross-examination.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The new reality finds those legacy players, with the single exception of Disney, playing defense as tech’s flywheel spins faster, and their pursuit of TV ad dollars becomes even more aggressive.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s yet another reason to be diligent with your daily SPF.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
14 May 2026
-
In the end, after a monthslong investigation and diligent forensic work, partial remains of 70 of the 110 victims were identified and returned to family members who, to this day, carry the pain of that day in 1996.—
Hank Tester,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
The first season is adapted from the first book, The Deal, and revolves around the hockey team captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) and his relationship with aspiring songwriter Hannah Wells (Ella Bright).—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
At the Transport for London office, nervous, aspiring cabbies dress up in their Sunday best to take a series of oral exams known as appearances.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
While the floor-to-ceiling windows in each room provide an industrious look at Atlanta’s train systems, juxtaposed with the bright lights of the bustling Howell Mill Road corridor.—
Mike Jordan,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 May 2026
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The pop of gloves and laughter of children rang through the field for a while — until a few industrious boys and girls got their manos on bolígrafos.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The second-youngest of eight children, Gordy hailed from an enterprising Detroit family with Georgia plantation roots, including several sisters who had carved successful business paths.—
Brian McCollum,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
-
All Stanford students are ambitious, but many of the most enterprising among them drop out.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Certainly, the images themselves are striking and dramatic, defined by strong shadows and a dynamic sensibility, with bodies constantly in motion.—
Amy Reyes,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
-
Many stayed, putting down roots that grew into multigenerational farming families who continue to shape the region’s dynamic food scene.—
Vivian Chung,
Travel + Leisure,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opportunistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunistic. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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