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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flounder
In the deal’s wake, though, Saks floundered, experiencing a 16 percent drop in sales year-over-year from the quarter ending in June 30, 2025, for example.
—
Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2026
The Bucks floundered without him and the coach paid the price.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Ray has a sympathy for these floundering men, not as victims but as people relying on the wrong structures for support.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
As staffers await new leadership, projects have floundered, many in a holding pattern awaiting funding.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2026
The Bucks floundered without him and the coach paid the price.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Ray has a sympathy for these floundering men, not as victims but as people relying on the wrong structures for support.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
As staffers await new leadership, projects have floundered, many in a holding pattern awaiting funding.
—Erika Edwards, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounder
Verb
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The mood in Venice is still borderline ecstatic, full of gossip, parties, and people chatting about art in their respective cities, trading business cards, discovering new talent, eating, drinking, and stumbling around, running into old friends.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
-
South Africa has stumbled into a classic policy trap.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
MotoGP also had to shuffle its schedule due to the conflict in the Middle East, postponing the Qatar Grand Prix to November.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
7 May 2026
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But sometimes, simply shuffling the pieces can help, in our view.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Verb
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In April, Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo proved to be an effective outlet as Chelsea struggled to cope with their pace.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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Family members said Ross is still struggling with memory gaps and emotional distress following her detention.—
Jade le Deley,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
We’re treated to a surreal sequence wherein Cassie transforms into the 50-Foot Woman, stomping all over Downtown Los Angeles like a monster movie, which all seems like a pretext for a scene where Sweeney’s giant boobs burst through the windows of a building.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
11 May 2026
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Rollins repeatedly stomped Breakker in the face and lined up for The Stomp, but Breakker countered, grabbed Rollins’ foot and hit a military press into a gutbuster.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
My book tries to slough the stigma from the words, to say it all aloud without shame.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
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The bright wallpaper that Nataliia and Valerii had hung was sloughing off in layers, green giving way to roses.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flounder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flounder. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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