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
  • The foliage can be quite the color chameleon, with some selections leafing out in shades of red, purple, lime green, and orange before changing tones as the season advances.
    Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2025
  • This time, the moment required the Gators (36-4) to become chameleons.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
  • That is until smooth-talking opportunist sneaker J.B.
    Courtney Howard, Variety, 17 Apr. 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
Noun
  • 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
  • Megalodons were behemoth sharks that roamed the waters starting 20 million years ago and are now extinct.
    Christine Wusylko, The Conversation, 9 Apr. 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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Cite this Entry

“Temporizer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temporizer. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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