1
as in stumbled
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 shuffled
to move heavily or clumsily
the car floundered through the heavy wet snow, constantly getting stuck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of floundered
That decline has done little to boost a Labour government that has floundered since winning election in July 2024.
—
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Harris didn’t add a bat, and the offense floundered in August and September.
—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
The three-time batting champion has thrived in areas where the Padres have floundered.
—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
That mission has floundered in recent weeks with the departure of politicians who were key to the coalition agreement.
—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
The Broncos faltered in the snow, the Nuggets floundered on the hardwood, and now the Avalanche fail on ice.
—
Dp Opinion,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
But his solo career has floundered.
—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 May 2026
But where the movie floundered, the soundtrack – co-produced by Electric Light Orchestra maestro Jeff Lynne – flourished.
—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
After Ana was caught driving without a license and deported in September, her daughter stopped eating and floundered in school.
—
Caitlin Dickerson,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Harris didn’t add a bat, and the offense floundered in August and September.
—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
The three-time batting champion has thrived in areas where the Padres have floundered.
—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
That mission has floundered in recent weeks with the departure of politicians who were key to the coalition agreement.
—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
The Broncos faltered in the snow, the Nuggets floundered on the hardwood, and now the Avalanche fail on ice.
—
Dp Opinion,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
But his solo career has floundered.
—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 May 2026
But where the movie floundered, the soundtrack – co-produced by Electric Light Orchestra maestro Jeff Lynne – flourished.
—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
After Ana was caught driving without a license and deported in September, her daughter stopped eating and floundered in school.
—
Caitlin Dickerson,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floundered
Verb
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Once seen as the Fox News for the next generation of conservatives, the Daily Wire has stumbled over the last several years.
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Through a connection, Jobs stumbled upon what was then the computer animation division of Star Wars creator George Lucas’ production company Lucasfilm and was immediately impressed, wrote Walter Isaacson in his biography of the Apple cofounder.
Verb
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After about 10 minutes of sitting frozen in place, the seven-year-old shuffled out of the room with his mother, sister and grandmother.
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The outsize failings of the men in power demand a grand reimagining of the consequences of those failings, and Helen of Nowhere offers up, exhilaratingly and naughtily, a myth for the man who needs to be shuffled offstage one way or another.
Verb
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Additionally, both of those players have struggled to provide consistent impact as finishers at the rim and aren’t useful as shooters.
-
The Volkswagen Group has struggled with its internal software division (Cariad) for years.
Verb
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On Monday night, a 39-year-old man wearing a Spurs jersey was stomped and punched after Game 3 while walking down West 47th Street, about 15 blocks from the arena.
-
It's been 33 years since Jurassic Park first stomped into theaters, and blockbusters haven't been the same since.
Cite this Entry
“Floundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floundered. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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