as in creator
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor
Maria Montessori was the founder of an educational system dedicated to maximizing a child's creative potential
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to collapse
to be unsuccessful
the theater company foundered after its corporate funding dried up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to go
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the twin towers started to sway and suddenly foundered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of founder
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 19 May 2026
Younis — a Pakistani-American and former COO of Y Combinator who grew up in Detroit and attended the GM Institute (now Kettering University) — and CTO Peter Ludwig are automotive enthusiasts who met while working at Google, clicked, and set out as co-founders of Applied Intuition in 2017.
—Rebecca Fannin, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026
The site contains remains from multiple vessels, suggesting a history of merchant ships that likely foundered in the same treacherous area while approaching the shore.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for founder
Noun
Former DeepMind researchers have founded more than a dozen companies since 2021, while Hassabis’ co-founder Mustafa Suleyman is now CEO of Microsoft AI.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 19 May 2026
Younis — a Pakistani-American and former COO of Y Combinator who grew up in Detroit and attended the GM Institute (now Kettering University) — and CTO Peter Ludwig are automotive enthusiasts who met while working at Google, clicked, and set out as co-founders of Applied Intuition in 2017.
—Rebecca Fannin, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Verb
Joel Gratz is having a bluebird day at a time when the rest of the Colorado ski industry is foundering.
—Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026
The site contains remains from multiple vessels, suggesting a history of merchant ships that likely foundered in the same treacherous area while approaching the shore.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for founder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founder
Noun
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That lesson has been absorbed — instinctively, if not always consciously — by a generation of online creators now moving into feature filmmaking with their audiences already in tow.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
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Jury members are to be announced; the roster will draw from filmmakers, actors, and creators working across Japan and internationally.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Game 1, when the Cavs built a 22-point lead against a rusty Knicks team before collapsing during a devastating 44-11 New York run.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
24 May 2026
-
Political norms rarely collapse all at once.—
William Muck,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Shania Twain, are airing live on Prime Video and Amazon Music from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, meaning some of the genre's biggest stars are going home with new accolades under their belts.—
Jack Irvin,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
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Matching the anything-goes vibe that flows through the resort, the breezy restaurant pavilion is merely a suggestion—ordering lunch or dinner to your private terrace, a candlelit table on the beach, or one of the dozen-or-so secret seating nooks scattered around the property is actively encouraged.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Saunders’ analysis of his quartet of authors and their stories also puts me in mind of an observation by the late playwright Tom Stoppard.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.—
Eric Welch,
The Conversation,
19 May 2026
Verb
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For all the bright spots on Islands’ state champion soccer team, nothing shone brighter than its golden hairdos flopping around the pitch.—
Jack Leo,
AJC.com,
23 May 2026
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As in most insurance company failures, PHL flopped for several reasons.—
Gretchen Morgenson,
NBC news,
20 May 2026
Verb
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On one occasion, his father, Marland, went out with a saw to hunt down the culprits.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Look, McIlroy might go out and shoot 63 on Sunday, turning the 2026 summer into a swirl of Grand Slam talk.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Wilson’s father was a Presbyterian minister, and Wilson read the Bible daily.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
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The backstory The property was built in 1835 as a private home for Sarah Lydia Robbins Howe, whose father Edward Hutchinson Robbins served as Massachusetts’ sixth lieutenant governor.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Three of five flights of Starship V2 failed last year, but SpaceX avoided lengthy groundings and reeled off all five launches in a period of nine months.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2026
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The genre at large, especially in its broadcast form, failed pretty spectacularly to make its three-ring circus of topical comedy, celebrity kibitzing, and live music thrive under ringmasters who weren’t white, male, middle-aged avatars of our societal default.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Founder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founder. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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