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

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

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 Four months later Sand and her twenty-six-year-old medico also returned to Paris, whereupon their relationship promptly floundered. — Kathryn Hughes, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026 These teams typically floundered on and off the ice, draining the revenue-sharing pool and rarely fielding Stanley Cup contenders. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 29 Sep. 2026 And yet when Winston took over for Dart in Monday’s first quarter, and as the Giants’ offense floundered while falling behind big, Beckham was nailed to the bench. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026 The tech giants surged to all-time highs this week, a surprising show of strength given that the group has floundered for much of this year with the artificial intelligence trade broadening away from megacaps. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026 Europe’s carmakers have floundered in the face of these changes. — Andrew McAfee, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026 The books might not be a one-to-one, but Phillips wrote about the high life around him as his own family finances floundered in the shadow of the Great Depression. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026 The Indiana Fever floundered in a home game against the Washington Mystics, losing 93-77 on Sunday. — Tilly Robinson, IndyStar, 21 Sep. 2026 But as the institutional GOP floundered, Advance was notching headline-grabbing wins at the ballot. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floundered
  1. stumbled
  2. shuffled
  3. struggled
  4. stomped
Verb
  • Russia stumbled in all three of its Phobos attempts as well as many other Mars endeavors.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Munyon's Paw-Paw, an alcoholic beverage dating to the early 1900s, has been resurrected by two longtime spirits industry veterans who stumbled upon its unusual history during a family outing.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumbled
Verb
  • Because Luke’s Diner was essentially a wooden frame without insulation—and the cast and crew constantly shuffled in and out the door—the December and January shoots on the backlot could be brutal.
    — Mara Reinstein, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Offensive line shuffled up Dykes said in earlier in the week that TCU looked at everything throughout the program during the 2-3 start and would make the necessary adjustments to try and turn things around.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of shuffled
Verb
  • Advertisement Ramaswamy has also struggled to navigate his identity as a Hindu and the son of immigrants from India in the modern GOP.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • After the raid, his daughter struggled with recurring nightmares, the lawsuit said.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggled
Verb
  • McColley pushed Parente out onto the street and stomped his boot in the victim’s face five times, crushing Parente’s head into the pavement before fleecing his pockets and fleeing, according to the criminal complaint.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Letter writers recalled how Paden saved his father’s life when a cow nearly stomped him to death in a field, after the elder Paden came between the cow and her calf.
    — Glenn Rice, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 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 Oct. 2026.

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