1
as in stumbles
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
unprepared choristers who floundered helplessly through the musical number
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shuffles
to move heavily or clumsily
the car floundered through the heavy wet snow, constantly getting stuck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounders
Verb
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The movie follows Rick Power (Rudd), a wedding band singer who stumbles into a late-night jam session with former boy band star Danny (Jonas) and reignites his passion for songwriting.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026 -
West stumbles into the kitchen looking for some buffalo-chicken dip, wearing only a pair of shorts and a smile.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
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That is not unique — Major League Baseball’s offseason shuffles along at a deliberate pace, just as the Dodgers historically have liked.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The difference is that, while Carolyn struggles to define herself against expectation, John has always obliged expectation.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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But some midseason struggles, and a shoulder injury kept him from establishing himself as a rookie starter.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ellie stomps back to the crew mess to whine about it to Jenna and Ben.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
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As skyscrapers towered over them, their cheers, chants and stomps wove through downtown Dallas.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Flounders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flounders. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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