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
On Ukraine, Trump has been sounding increasingly desperate as his efforts to broker an end to the Russian invasion have floundered.
—
Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2025
While Newcastle dreams of Champions League qualification to add to its first domestic trophy win in 70 years, Manchester United is floundering in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Speaking of floundering superteams: What in the world happened to the Suns?
—Sam Settleman, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Midcentury relic Keyworth Studios is floundering when its head (Harriet Walter) hears a pitch for an AI tool called Redream.
—Judy Berman, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2025
While Newcastle dreams of Champions League qualification to add to its first domestic trophy win in 70 years, Manchester United is floundering in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
—Harry De Cosemo, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Speaking of floundering superteams: What in the world happened to the Suns?
—Sam Settleman, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Midcentury relic Keyworth Studios is floundering when its head (Harriet Walter) hears a pitch for an AI tool called Redream.
—Judy Berman, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounder
Verb
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Still, many times, most seasoned and skilled leaders stumble from time to time.—
Phil Portman,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
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Meanwhile, the only truly happy artist in Ira’s friend group — played to uproarious perfection by Stanley Tucci — isn’t even much of an artist at all but a shameless name-dropper who seems to stumble into constant success without even trying.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
9 May 2025
Verb
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Bemused tourists attempt to shuffle through the acrid red and blue flare smoke.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
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Deep in the bowels of State Farm Stadium, Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson and a group of his players shuffled into a concrete-walled space that had been converted into a makeshift press conference room.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Megill struggled with his command, putting the first three batters on before getting an out.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
11 May 2025
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Similarly, just as the Heat did not have a Plan B for Tyler Herro being taken out, the Pacers struggled in that aspect in Game 3 against the Cavaliers.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2025
Verb
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Between swapping lines, the two stomped along in rhythm as pyrotechnics framed the stage in flames.—
Matthew Leimkuehler,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
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The picture smacks you with mini-LED punch, deep contrast, and a 144 Hz refresh that keeps Valorant razor-smooth while AMD FreeSync stomps tearing.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But that season had a couple of issues that this round of Poker Face smartly sloughs off: an overarching story line involving Charlie’s cards-playing past that sometimes felt like a drag on the series’ forward momentum, an overreliance on law enforcement as a storytelling tool.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 May 2025
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She’s sloughed off to the reservation by her bosses, to go take care of this missing persons report on the Navajo reservation.—
Lisa de los Reyes,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flounder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flounder. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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