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
Russian automotive, aviation, and semiconductor manufacturing capabilities are all floundering—just like the rest of the Russian economy.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 16 Dec. 2025
When Disney took over 21st Century Fox in 2019, for example, the latter had been floundering for years, struggling to keep up with the industry’s shift toward franchises and existing properties.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2025
Among those other candidates is interim head coach Terry Smith, who helped stabilize a floundering team that reached bowl eligibility and won its last three regular-season games.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
At the time, computer-vision research was floundering.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 16 Dec. 2025
When Disney took over 21st Century Fox in 2019, for example, the latter had been floundering for years, struggling to keep up with the industry’s shift toward franchises and existing properties.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2025
Among those other candidates is interim head coach Terry Smith, who helped stabilize a floundering team that reached bowl eligibility and won its last three regular-season games.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
At the time, computer-vision research was floundering.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounder
Verb
-
Government agencies and businesses that invest in this training, and that insist every critical number survives a deterministic check, will capture AI's benefits without stumbling into its blind spots.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Dodge, still suffering the consequences of axing the popular previous generations of Charger and Challenger muscle cars, saw sales stumble down 28% compared with the previous year.—
Liam Rappleye,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Even with my winter boots and sturdy soles, caution dictates a short stride, a shuffling gait end eyes riveted to the slippery ground.—
Thomas Cangelosi,
Hartford Courant,
4 Jan. 2026
-
First, the sophomore shuffled back into coverage after showing A-gap pressure to intercept a Bryce Underwood pass over the middle of the field, ending a key fourth-quarter drive.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His strength on defense was particularly impressive for a freshman, as TCU big men Xavier Edmonds and David Punch struggled to create good looks inside the lane thanks in large part to the defense of Peat.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Players throughout the Heat’s rotation struggled to make shots.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Jenkins brutally stomped and punched Coto, who was severely injured and put on life support.—
Tony Aiello,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Take it slower and stomp a path through new snow or ski on a frozen pond.—
Ashlyn Ware,
Midwest Living,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This option by Neogen utilizes a three layer design, part of which is from 100% cotton mesh, that manually sloughs away dead skin cells.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
-
But after sloughing off during work hours, he was fired in early 2023.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flounder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flounder. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share