as in opportunists
one who does things only for his own benefit and with little regard for right and wrong
that bottom-feeder would run over his own mother if it would help him get ahead in his career
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Recent Examples of bottom-feeders
The Warriors already might be too far ahead in the standings to catch bottom-feeders like the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers in the race to maximize their draft-lottery odds.
—
Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
For nearly the first two decades of their existence, the New Orleans Saints were NFL bottom-feeders.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
Chicago is currently mired in a miserable seven-game losing streak, a confounding skid that includes defeats against NBA bottom-feeders like the New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, and Brooklyn Nets.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
For nearly the first two decades of their existence, the New Orleans Saints were NFL bottom-feeders.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
Chicago is currently mired in a miserable seven-game losing streak, a confounding skid that includes defeats against NBA bottom-feeders like the New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, and Brooklyn Nets.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottom-feeders
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
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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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The plot follows a coastal town decimated by a Category 5 hurricane, where the resulting storm surge brings with it a terrifying influx of hungry sharks.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
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Scientists analyzed serum samples of tiger sharks, blacktip sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, Atlantic nurse sharks and lemon sharks.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bottom-feeders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottom-feeders. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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