flounder

verb

Definition of floundernext
1
as in to stumble
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually unprepared choristers who floundered helplessly through the musical number

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 The Indiana Fever floundered in a home game against the Washington Mystics, losing 93-77 on Sunday. — Tilly Robinson, IndyStar, 21 Sep. 2026 The Angels, floundering toward another last-place finish, fired Minasian in June. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Plaintiffs are so far hard to find Trump’s other tools to impose his protectionist agenda already have floundered in court. — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Plaintiffs are so far hard to find Trump’s other tools to impose his protectionist agenda have already floundered in court. — Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flounder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounder
  1. stumble
  2. shuffle
  3. struggle
  4. stomp
  5. slough
Verb
  • Almost sounds silly now, with the way the team has stumbled and bumbled its way through the first four games.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Of the seven clubs that had 14 or more players from their organizations appear in the WBC, several stumbled early and only the Phillies and Brewers made the postseason.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs — both gearing up for the playoffs during the final weekend of the regular Major League Baseball season — had to shuffle the schedule for their three-game series.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The longtime headquarters of CBS News’s most hallowed properties—60 Minutes and Inside Edition—was recently hollowed out in a Paramount acquisition that saw personalities and producers shuffled to a center across the street.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • At that time, the company’s Fisher-Price, Barbie and American Girl brands were struggling to connect with changing consumer tastes and Mattel was reeling from the recent bankruptcy of Toys R Us.
    — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
  • But, like many Universities, Drexel has been struggling financially, in part due to declining enrollment.
    — Andrew Stelzer, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggle
Verb
  • Handclaps, stomping percussion and a communal chorus create the kind of infectious energy that naturally gets people moving.
    — qygwork, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2026
  • As a result, the Great Lawn had to be shut down two months ealier for repairs and resodding after tens of thousands of concertgoers stomped it into a muddy mess.
    — Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of stomp
Verb
  • Biossance’s Squalane + 10% Lactic Acid Resurfacing Serum pairs it with exfoliating lactic acid to slough away the dry skin that exacerbates the appearance of wrinkles.
    — Emily Orofino, Allure, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Out toward the edge, the star would boil unstably, sloughing off outer layers and explosively ejecting mass.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of slough

Browse Nearby Words

flouncing
flounder
floundered
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Cite this Entry

“Flounder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flounder. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flounder

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flounder

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