1
as in stumbled
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 shuffled
to move heavily or clumsily
the car floundered through the heavy wet snow, constantly getting stuck
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of floundered
Strange, whose strength is his athleticism, stabilized a right guard position that was searching for anyone who could make a contribution after Daniels only lasted three plays due to a pectoral injury and Smith floundered during his brief opportunity.
—
David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
In the latter years of the Roman Republic, landowners amassed unprecedented riches while plebeians floundered, spawning resentment that infected many corners of society.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
That idea is central to why many real world sectors are outperforming this year, even as the overall market and especially tech stocks have floundered.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
To varying degrees, all three have floundered.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
But most of the new entrants, such as Intrade and Tradesports, have floundered after running afoul of federal regulators and federal laws prohibiting internet and sports gambling.
—Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Although the Timberwolves floundered in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Dosunmu provided a rare bright spot with 11 points and two steals off the bench.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
The rest of the judges floundered with Rita Ora guessing Selma Blair, Ken Jeong putting his money on Christina Applegate and Robin Thicke going with Danielle Fishel.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Disney named Susan Arnold as chairman in 2021, but wound up bringing back Iger in November 2022 for his second stint as CEO after the company floundered.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 3 Feb. 2026
David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
In the latter years of the Roman Republic, landowners amassed unprecedented riches while plebeians floundered, spawning resentment that infected many corners of society.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
That idea is central to why many real world sectors are outperforming this year, even as the overall market and especially tech stocks have floundered.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
To varying degrees, all three have floundered.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
But most of the new entrants, such as Intrade and Tradesports, have floundered after running afoul of federal regulators and federal laws prohibiting internet and sports gambling.
—Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Although the Timberwolves floundered in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Dosunmu provided a rare bright spot with 11 points and two steals off the bench.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
The rest of the judges floundered with Rita Ora guessing Selma Blair, Ken Jeong putting his money on Christina Applegate and Robin Thicke going with Danielle Fishel.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Disney named Susan Arnold as chairman in 2021, but wound up bringing back Iger in November 2022 for his second stint as CEO after the company floundered.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floundered
Verb
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In Season 1, the publication of Lee’s latest exposé – a deep dive into the powerful Washberg family – is immediately followed by the suspicious suicide of Dale Washberg (Tim Blake Nelson), and Lee knows he’s stumbled onto something big.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
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But the Illini stumbled by losing four of six after that before winning their final two against bottom-dwellers Oregon and Maryland.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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What supports will schools offer to students who are emotionally impacted by this sudden disruption, especially those who have already been shuffled around multiple times?—
Randy Ribay,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Drained from work, Irvi shuffled down the stairs in sweatpants.—
Caitlin Dickerson,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Alcantara struggled in his World Baseball Classic debut three years ago for his native Dominican Republic, which didn’t advance out of pool play that year.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
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The 30-year-old offensive tackle — who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2019 season — was brought to Charlotte in 2024 as a reserve option at tackle for the Panthers, who were interested in bolstering an offensive line that struggled mightily the year before.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Three weeks later, Jalloh allegedly assaulted an older male and stomped his head into the ground.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
-
This wasn’t the three-time Cy Young Award version of this man who stomped through their clubhouse doors this week.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floundered. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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