as in failing
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1
as in struggling
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
unprepared choristers who floundered helplessly through the musical number
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shuffling
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
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Recent Examples of floundering
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
Saige Miller,
NPR,
22 June 2026
Billy Joel was floundering as a recording artist when Davis signed him in 1973.
—
Jason Kravarik,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
One day after optioning struggling rookie Andrew Painter to Triple-A, the Phillies are sending down another floundering pitcher.
—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
In 2020, when many saw in Joe Biden a floundering candidate, a loose coalition of black women activists saw an opportunity.
—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
The comedian admits floundering in his mid-20s and winding up behind bars.
—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 June 2026
While the Blues entered the 2025/26 campaign with high hopes after lifting the Club World Cup, the team failed to live up to expectations, floundering in the Premier League and going through three different managers in the space of only a few months.
—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Its economy has been floundering.
—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
Before Tan took over as CEO in March 2025 , the foundry business was floundering, trying to do many things at once.
—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Adjective
Or maybe this team just looked itself in the mirror and made the corrections that could have saved a floundering season.
—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
The opportunity to elect a Democrat has generated enthusiasm within the Utah Democratic Party in an era when sentiment for the national party is floundering.
—
Saige Miller,
NPR,
22 June 2026
Billy Joel was floundering as a recording artist when Davis signed him in 1973.
—
Jason Kravarik,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
One day after optioning struggling rookie Andrew Painter to Triple-A, the Phillies are sending down another floundering pitcher.
—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
In 2020, when many saw in Joe Biden a floundering candidate, a loose coalition of black women activists saw an opportunity.
—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
The comedian admits floundering in his mid-20s and winding up behind bars.
—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 June 2026
While the Blues entered the 2025/26 campaign with high hopes after lifting the Club World Cup, the team failed to live up to expectations, floundering in the Premier League and going through three different managers in the space of only a few months.
—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Its economy has been floundering.
—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
Before Tan took over as CEO in March 2025 , the foundry business was floundering, trying to do many things at once.
—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floundering
Adjective
-
The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.
Verb
-
The two candidates also are offering differing solutions for the country’s struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption.
-
The two candidates also are offering differing solutions for the country's struggling health system, ballooning public debt and entrenched corruption.
Verb
-
In an era of digital overwhelm and social isolation, gathering around a table, shuffling tiles and building order out of chaos together feels like exactly what people are reaching for right now.
-
The model of shuffling that the new result depends on, like Bayer and Diaconis’ before it, still assumes that the cards riffle down one by one, rather than in clumps.
Adjective
-
What’s the vibe for you, post-dying?
-
Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.
Verb
-
Gane finished off Pereira in the second round to win the title on Sunday after sending him stumbling with a right jab followed by a hammer fist.
-
But stumbling into a town with a visual landscape that still shows Guedes' thumbprint was a delight.
Verb
-
That feeling solidified during their solo date, which included stomping grapes, exploring a winery and making a promise to open a special bottle of wine together one year later.
-
In the grainy video, an individual is seen appearing to throw a woman to the ground in the North Philadelphia alley and then hitting her repeatedly in the head with a brick, kicking her, and stomping her face, WPVI reported.
Adjective
-
The skyway corridors with highest density sit directly atop the most languishing streetscapes, Spencer said, and vice versa.
Adjective
-
While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.
-
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.
Cite this Entry
“Floundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floundering. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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