temporizer

1
as in chameleon
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

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2
as in machinator
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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for temporizer
Noun
  • Like a chameleon, the 5-foot-6 senior has the uncanny ability to adapt to any opponent, game situation or even time of year.
    Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
  • But for this reporter — who couldn’t even tell you what a running back does — this was also the year that Barkley developed his sense of style as a fashion chameleon.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Decades before the memes and punchlines, the Broward native spawned a fictional franchise populated by preposterous oddballs, bottom-feeders and other shadowy denizens of the Sunshine State.
    Mark Gauert, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Since winning at Boise State on Jan. 4 and blowing out Air Force at home four days later, the season had become a grind – a double-digit loss at New Mexico, a rare home loss against UNLV, a string of ugly wins against the Mountain West’s bottom-feeders after overcoming dangerously large deficits.
    Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Noun
  • After three days, the search for an Australian fisherman who was pulled into the ocean by a shark has been suspended.
    Sam Gillette, People.com, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Over the past 20 years, global demand for shark and ray meat has nearly doubled, now surpassing the value of the shark fin trade by 1.7 times.
    Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
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.

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“Temporizer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temporizer. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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