floundering 1 of 2

adjective

as in failing

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floundering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of flounder
1
as in struggling
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 shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily the car floundered through the heavy wet snow, constantly getting stuck

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 floundering
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 Angels, floundering toward another last-place finish, fired Minasian in June. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Yet some in the party say there is no upside for candidates in close races to leave the campaign for an event in another state with a president floundering in polls ‒ and there are questions about who will attend. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS) are up more than 4% this month, after floundering for much of this year. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 But please, save us from the talking points around the 'Protect College Sports Act' that is currently floundering around the Senate. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 In 2024, early data on the vaccine served as a turning point for the floundering field. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026 The series tells the story of Jossi, a floundering actor who lies his way into a casting call reserved for Jewish performers. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026 In 2011, Daunt was tapped to lead the floundering British retailer Waterstones, which returned to profitability under his leadership. — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 Ted Lasso, sports comedy-drama television series starring Jason Sudeikis as an American football coach who is appointed manager of AFC Richmond, a floundering English soccer club. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floundering
  1. failing
  2. struggling
  3. shuffling
  4. dying
  5. stumbling
  6. stomping
  7. languishing
  8. declining
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
Definition of failing
Verb
  • Its interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former al-Qa’eda militant who led the rebel offensive that overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, has been struggling to rebuild a nation devastated by almost 14 years of civil war.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Teachers and students are struggling to parse the difference between deploying AI effectively and exploiting the technology to cheat.
    — Sian Leah Beilock, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of struggling
Verb
  • The filmmaker has likened his perspective in this project to that of Dorothy’s dog Toto in The Wizard of Oz, alert to the shuffling feet beneath the curtain rather than being bamboozled by the shyster title character’s techno showmanship.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Not much else changed in Class 5A, besides Azle and Arlington Seguin shuffling down two spots with Week 2 losses.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of shuffling
Adjective
  • What’s the vibe for you, post-dying?
    — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 22 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of dying
Verb
  • Unlike other festivals, where audiences can be more forgiving, stumbling out of the gate at Venice can prove impossible for a contender to recover from.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Analysis from Zeki Data shows that where OpenAI and Anthropic are making gains in the AI talent market, Google DeepMind (and to some extent Meta) are stumbling.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumbling
Verb
  • What’s Happening Videos of people pouring Epsom salt onto baking sheets, towels or shower floors and stomping barefoot for roughly 10 minutes have racked up views across TikTok, with users claiming the practice eases anxiety and improves sleep.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Pembroke Pines police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who was recorded on security-camera footage stomping an adult duck to death.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of stomping
Adjective
  • What this effort points to is the need for a federal right of publicity statute, like the languishing NO FAKES bill.
    — Schuyler Moore, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of languishing
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
Definition of declining

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floundering
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Cite this Entry

“Floundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floundering. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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