interloper
noun
in·ter·lop·er
ˌin-tər-ˈlō-pər 
ˈin-tər-ˌlō-
: one that interlopes: such as
a
: one that intrudes in a place or sphere of activity
b
: an illegal or unlicensed trader
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The History of Interloper
The -loper part of interloper is believed to be either from an English dialectal word meaning "leap" or from a Dutch word meaning "to run." (The prefix inter- means "between" or "among.") An interloper is essentially one that jumps into the midst of things without an invitation to do so.
Synonyms
Examples of interloper in a Sentence
I had hoped to help my neighbors, but they regarded me as an interloper.
summer residents were regarded as interlopers who had no deep commitment to the town's welfare
Recent Examples on the Web
That produced a great combo; those road team interlopers mingled with bitter home fans in just the right ratio to get a fantastic crowd reaction.
—
Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
The most dominant interloper was Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was polling at a healthy 11.7% and was being taken seriously, particularly by the Democratic National Committee.
—Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Jan. 2025
The only interloper is No. 3 Ohio State, which at this point should take career advice from Michael Jackson.
—David Whitley, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
The bear was later found in the storage area, so workers set up a box trap, with honey and apples to attract the interloper.
—Junko Ogura, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for interloper 
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Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
The most dominant interloper was Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was polling at a healthy 11.7% and was being taken seriously, particularly by the Democratic National Committee.
—Washington Examiner Staff, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Jan. 2025
The only interloper is No. 3 Ohio State, which at this point should take career advice from Michael Jackson.
—David Whitley, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
The bear was later found in the storage area, so workers set up a box trap, with honey and apples to attract the interloper.
—Junko Ogura, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for interloper
Dictionary Entries Near interloper
Cite this Entry
“Interloper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interloper. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
interloper
noun
in·ter·lop·er
ˌint-ər-ˈlō-pər
ˈint-ər-ˌlō-pər
: a person who intrudes or interferes wrongly or meddlesomely
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