TEMPORIZER Synonyms: 21 Similar and Opposite Words

temporizer

noun

Definition of temporizer

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

altruist

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for temporizer

Noun

For a chameleon, an actor who spent a lifetime resisting other people’s definitions of him, that might be the ultimate paradox.

— Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Since its introduction to the market in 2000, Nike’s ACG Air Max Goadome boot has proven to be chameleon-like in its various forms and material make-ups.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of chameleon

Noun

Notre Dame men's hoops has become a bottom-feeder in the ACC under Micah Shrewsberry, with a losing record in each of his three seasons, and its best players bolted for better NIL opportunities in the spring.

— Pete Sampson, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Use worms fished right on the bottom to entice the subtle-striking bottom-feeders.

— Chad Mason, Outdoor Life, 3 June 2026

Definition of bottom-feeder

Noun

Some amalgam of fan input, ticket sales, ratings, and media outrage determines what’s right and wrong, and this collective taste shifts more slowly than the behavior of front-office opportunists.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
Musk, as the documentary makes clear, is a genuine if flawed technocratic visionary, a messianic opportunist, and something of a crackpot.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of opportunist

Noun

The fisherman and the shark apparently tangled when the man tried to release the fish.

— Jasmine Mendez Follow, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Here, a very dear, longtime local friend officiated the service with just a few attendees which included a blacktip reef shark and a colony of marine iguanas.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of shark

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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temporized

temporizer

temporizers

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“Temporizer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temporizer. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of temporizer

noun

Example Sentences

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