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
Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Still, the repurposing helps fill out the Gurnee mall while other shopping centers are floundering.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Hope kept the West Indies from floundering, opening the batting and hitting four sixes and six boundaries until he was bowled by Crishan Kalugamage in the 16th over.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
When Robert Duvall was floundering around in college, his father, a career Navy man who retired with the rank of rear admiral, told him to shape up — and start acting.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Before the Briton stepped away from being Mercedes race strategy chief and out of Toto Wolff’s shadow, Williams was floundering at the back of the grid, finishing last in the team standings four out of the prior five years.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Bitcoin, once touted as digital gold, is floundering as gold and silver rocket to record highs and traders brace for a Federal Reserve game-changer.
—Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
That could help a stock that has been floundering as of late.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
The Mavericks were winners of two consecutive games over the floundering Utah Jazz.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 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
But internally, the team was floundering.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Still, the repurposing helps fill out the Gurnee mall while other shopping centers are floundering.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Hope kept the West Indies from floundering, opening the batting and hitting four sixes and six boundaries until he was bowled by Crishan Kalugamage in the 16th over.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
When Robert Duvall was floundering around in college, his father, a career Navy man who retired with the rank of rear admiral, told him to shape up — and start acting.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Before the Briton stepped away from being Mercedes race strategy chief and out of Toto Wolff’s shadow, Williams was floundering at the back of the grid, finishing last in the team standings four out of the prior five years.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Bitcoin, once touted as digital gold, is floundering as gold and silver rocket to record highs and traders brace for a Federal Reserve game-changer.
—Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
That could help a stock that has been floundering as of late.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
The Mavericks were winners of two consecutive games over the floundering Utah Jazz.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 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.—
Noah Alcala Bach,
San Antonio Express-News,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the aftermath of the 2007-09 Great Recession, Warsh — then a Fed governor — objected to some of the central bank’s efforts to help the struggling economy by pushing down rates even though unemployment exceeded 9%.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the United Nations wrote on X that major cities in Afghanistan were reportedly bombed by the Pakistani military on Friday, marking a new escalation and raising fears for civilians already struggling under the harsh rule of the Taliban authorities.—
MUNIR AHMED,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The shuffling sound quickened and the puzzlers’ hands sped up.—
Lia Picard,
AJC.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Some line shuffling by Warsofsky worked.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Yas is not stumbling into evil unwittingly or being forced by circumstance.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Surveillance video from that night shows a man wearing a Blackhawks jersey entering the store, then stumbling out before a struggle spilled into the street.—
Darius Johnson,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
So, let’s circle back to the original question on stomping.—
Adam Cohen,
Oklahoman,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The goal will change depending on the game — whether that’s collecting tokens, moving pieces on a board, stomping Goombas, or putting a ball in a hoop hanging 10 feet above the ground.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The skyway corridors with highest density sit directly atop the most languishing streetscapes, Spencer said, and vice versa.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.—
Tom MacCubbin,
orlandosentinel.com,
6 Mar. 2021
-
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.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
15 May 2020
Cite this Entry
“Floundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floundering. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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