floundered

verb

past tense of flounder
1
as in stumbled
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually unprepared choristers who floundered helplessly through the musical number

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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

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 floundered But Kenwood’s proposal for a boutique hotel, music venue and museum floundered in 2024. — Charlotte Observer, 17 July 2026 But Klug wasn’t sure any individual Democrat could outrun the negative perception that pervades a state where the party has floundered of late. — Justin Papp, CNBC, 24 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floundered
  1. stumbled
  2. shuffled
  3. struggled
  4. stomped
Verb
  • Lundgren got out from the driver’s side of the vehicle, stumbled across the opposing lane of traffic, and leaped over the side of the bridge into Table Rock Lake below, the sheriff said.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 22 July 2026
  • Evans stumbled into it and is still visibly working out what to do with it.
    — Ian Shepherd, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of stumbled
Verb
  • Black voters were shuffled around Houston, with much of the previous 9th Congressional District becoming the new 18th District.
    — Rahul Mukherjee, NPR, 23 July 2026
  • Several writers have also shuffled in and out of the project.
    — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026
Definition of shuffled
Verb
  • The 17 passengers and crew who lived told investigators everyone survived the landing, but many passengers struggled to locate life vests and the crew had a difficult time pulling out life rafts.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
  • Brayden Burries, Bucks While most of the vaunted crop of rookie guards from the NCAA ranks struggled, Burries was a glaring exception.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of struggled
Verb
  • Cece got out of bed, put on a pair of fuzzy pink slippers, and stomped to her mother’s office.
    — Jessica Contrera, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
  • Thornton stomped around the mound, flexing and screaming in celebration.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Definition of stomped

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flounder
floundered
floundering
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Cite this Entry

“Floundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floundered. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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