founder 1 of 2

noun

ˈfau̇n-dər How to pronounce founder (audio)
Definition of foundernext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

founder

2 of 2

verb

ˈfau̇n-dər How to pronounce founder (audio)
1
as in to collapse
to be unsuccessful the theater company foundered after its corporate funding dried up

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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

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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 founder
Noun
In the span of just three days, SpaceX founder Elon Musk ascended to trillionaire status before crashing out of the club in a billion-dollar downturn. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 Canny has decades of experience in the rock world, variously serving as a talent buyer, a concert promoter, an artist-management company VP, and the founder of an artist-representative firm. — News Desk, Artforum, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
Previous attempts to reach an agreement have foundered amid mutual suspicion and each side's insistence that the other must move first. — Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA Today, 31 July 2026 The Queen Who Never Was is foundering; its captain is missing or maybe dead. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for founder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founder
  1. creator
  2. collapse
  3. go
  4. author
  5. flop
  6. go out
  7. father
  8. fail
Noun
  • Mann spoke about one the challenges of being a creator was how to evolve.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In the film, directed by Danny Boyle and written by Aaron Sorkin, Jobs (Michael Fassbender) is still the indisputable hero, a creator of miraculous products that can be only so marred by his personal blemishes.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of creator
Verb
  • The moment the actors wink at the audience, the movie collapses.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The yellow house on Seaside Walk began to collapse Sunday morning, according to two Long Beach Fire Department lifeguards.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Trailing the Brewers 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Dodgers desperately need to put themselves in the best possible position to win Game 3 and avoid four straight win-or-go-home contests.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • As a result of the fine, Treasury said that Bank of America will work with a third party to report any further transactions to FinCEN that had gone undetected.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of go
Noun
  • The film stars Masami Nagasawa as a free-spirited children’s author who invites her doting husband and secret girlfriend to enter into a three-way relationship of convenience, when both partners simultaneously express their desire to start a family.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • What readers are saying The conversation explores the personal journey of the author in managing OCD, with many participants expressing admiration for the author's self-awareness and bravery in seeking help.
    — Eva Jaber, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of author
Verb
  • Miguel Vargas homered late for the White Sox, who flopped in their second straight bid to clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since the 1906 World Series against the Chicago Cubs.
    — Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • All of this lends itself to a mid-single-digit opening at 2,200 theaters for Social Reckoning, perhaps around $8M (where Tom Cruise’s $160M Digger flopped).
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of flop
Verb
  • Some gangs went out of business, and several mob bosses lost their fortunes.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • My group of guys rarely, if ever, just go out and play a round just to play.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of go out
Noun
  • The trip marks the first visit by a Spanish monarch to the two cities since Felipe's father, Juan Carlos I, toured them in 2007.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • For Rukhsar Amrohi, who also calls Kumari Chhoti Ammi, the film is a token of the couple’s love, made by her father out of his love for Kumari.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of father
Verb
  • Since then, multiple efforts to phase out or ban horse carriages have failed.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The exchange of threats comes as Saudi Arabia investigates why its air defenses failed to intercept a barrage of missiles and drones fired by the Houthis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of fail

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Cite this Entry

“Founder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founder. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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