1
as in to stumble
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
unprepared choristers who floundered helplessly through the musical number
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the car floundered through the heavy wet snow, constantly getting stuck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of flounder
Still, the repurposing helps fill out the Gurnee mall while other shopping centers are floundering.
—
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Hope kept the West Indies from floundering, opening the batting and hitting four sixes and six boundaries until he was bowled by Crishan Kalugamage in the 16th over.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
When Robert Duvall was floundering around in college, his father, a career Navy man who retired with the rank of rear admiral, told him to shape up — and start acting.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
To varying degrees, all three have floundered.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Hope kept the West Indies from floundering, opening the batting and hitting four sixes and six boundaries until he was bowled by Crishan Kalugamage in the 16th over.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
When Robert Duvall was floundering around in college, his father, a career Navy man who retired with the rank of rear admiral, told him to shape up — and start acting.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
To varying degrees, all three have floundered.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounder
Verb
-
Spotting this superconducting dome is often a sign that researchers have stumbled onto the right ingredients for high-temperature superconductivity.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The man then tripped, stumbling to the ground.—
Andrew Adeolu,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Samson Fellows shuffled in his slippers to a small space heater and flicked it on.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The Green Bay Packers are doing some shuffling at cornerback by adding Benjamin St-Juste while informing Nate Hobbs of a plan to release him a year after signing him to the $48 million, four-year contract, according to two people with knowledge of the decisions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nicolas Datiche | Lightrocket | Getty Images AI tools may also struggle with real-world nuances that experienced travel planners account for.—
Sydney Goh,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Despite flashing elite potential with 29 points against Indiana, Arenas struggled with consistency as the Trojans spiraled during a seven-game losing streak.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Three weeks later, Jalloh allegedly assaulted an older male and stomped his head into the ground.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
-
This wasn’t the three-time Cy Young Award version of this man who stomped through their clubhouse doors this week.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Primarily, there are beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) courtesy of lipo hydroxy acid (LHA), a deep-penetrating chemical exfoliant that gently sloughs off old, dead cells to reveal brighter, fresher skin.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The sins of the father are cheerfully sloughed off on the son.—
Elizabeth Nelson,
Pitchfork,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flounder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flounder. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
