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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of floundered
Sunday night music competition The Road floundered in the fall, and true-crime series Harlan Coben’s Final Twist was shifted to a new night following weak ratings, making a second season unlikely.
—
Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Europe’s giants have floundered lately — France is also in the economic doldrums — while its traditionally weaker periphery countries, such as Greece, Portugal, and Spain, are faring better.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
The case against Comey has floundered, with the statute of limitations for the original charges having lapsed.
—Jack Date, ABC News, 12 Jan. 2026
While the Jets offense floundered as a whole, there were some positives to take away from Engstrand’s first season as offensive coordinator.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
The Rangers penalty kill has floundered of late.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
In 2025, shares have floundered on investor concerns about how generative AI might disrupt the per-seat revenue models of software as a service (SaaS) companies like Salesforce.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2025
Florida football had just been outclassed by a program — Miami — that hired a coach in the same 2022 cycle UF did, and similarly struggled to jump-start its rebuild, having likewise floundered in recent years, despite its historic pedigree.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
The booster catches have been one of the bright spots for the Starship program as progress on the rocket's upper stage floundered.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2025
Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Europe’s giants have floundered lately — France is also in the economic doldrums — while its traditionally weaker periphery countries, such as Greece, Portugal, and Spain, are faring better.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
The case against Comey has floundered, with the statute of limitations for the original charges having lapsed.
—Jack Date, ABC News, 12 Jan. 2026
While the Jets offense floundered as a whole, there were some positives to take away from Engstrand’s first season as offensive coordinator.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
The Rangers penalty kill has floundered of late.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
In 2025, shares have floundered on investor concerns about how generative AI might disrupt the per-seat revenue models of software as a service (SaaS) companies like Salesforce.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2025
Florida football had just been outclassed by a program — Miami — that hired a coach in the same 2022 cycle UF did, and similarly struggled to jump-start its rebuild, having likewise floundered in recent years, despite its historic pedigree.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
The booster catches have been one of the bright spots for the Starship program as progress on the rocket's upper stage floundered.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floundered
Verb
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New York — A nervous mood swept through markets Tuesday as stocks stumbled and bitcoin hit its lowest level since November 2024.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
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The Predators again stumbled out of the gates this season before finding their footing to get back in the playoff race.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Royals shuffled through outfielders at a rapid rate.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
7 Feb. 2026
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Johnny Rondon-Rodriguez, a Venezuelan who had been shuffled in and out of jail since his arrest earlier this month, was similarly released by senior District Judge John Antoon, who heard his case immediately following Lleo-Rodriguez’s.—
Cristóbal Reyes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The victim got out and struggled with the suspect, and was able to disarm her, but suffered cuts during the incident.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
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Buffalo’s power play has struggled, but in the last couple of games, there have been signs of life.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Making matters worse was that Seahawks defensive lineman Derick Hall stomped down on Dotson’s calf after the play, leading to Shelton shoving him in the chest and, ultimately, a one-game suspension for Hall.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
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Jenkins brutally stomped and punched Coto, who was severely injured and put on life support.—
Tony Aiello,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Floundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floundered. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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