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
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
Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
Stephen Gutowski is the founder of the Reload.
—Stephen Gutowski, Washington Post, 16 June 2026
Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
Judging just by the opening day crowd at the new outlet on Route 44 in Avon, the company’s model shows no sign of foundering despite the turbulent economy.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for founder
Noun
An hour before his death, Smith had been volunteering to bring food to homeless people, according to an Instagram post by Scott Wagers, a pastor and founder of the outreach group Community Homeless Alliance Ministries.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
Stephen Gutowski is the founder of the Reload.
—Stephen Gutowski, Washington Post, 16 June 2026
Verb
Although in the commercial world, many print publications have foundered, data indicate that for alumni magazines, print remains powerful.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
Judging just by the opening day crowd at the new outlet on Route 44 in Avon, the company’s model shows no sign of foundering despite the turbulent economy.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for founder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founder
Noun
-
The adventure content creator had amassed more than 320,000 followers on Facebook, while some of his reels garnered millions of views.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
What’s more impressive is that the breakout horror hit, directed by YouTube creator Curry Barker, has had four consecutive weekends that were larger than its already-impressive $17 million debut.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Whether those disputes are merely differences in public messaging, or reflect something deeper that could cause the agreement to collapse, remains unclear.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
But even as the hall was collapsing, The Star reported, Kansas City businessmen Walter Dickey and Uriah Epperson were soliciting pledges from onlookers to launch the rebuilding.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes a little luck can go a long way, and Japan found that out firsthand in its 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in group stage action in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
-
But with a growing awareness of the mental health risks posed by children spending too much time online, Starmer has decided to go further after speaking to parents and considering evidence from Australia, which brought in a ban for under-16s last year.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The James Beard Foundation was founded in 1986 and is named for the legendary cookbook author who has been called America’s first foodie.—
Jeanne Bonner,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
-
The foundation’s media awards, honoring cookbook authors, journalists and other media professionals, were presented Saturday, June 13.—
Brock Keeling,
Daily News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Replay shows the defender never made meaningful contact and the offensive player overly-exaggerated the contact (flopped).—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
-
That fad, alas, had run its course, and the Bicentennial Pet Rock flopped.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Research at several universities in New York indicates that just having a conversation that promotes mental health on campus normalizes the idea that students will go out to seek help for themselves.—
Anyssa McCalla,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026
-
Nothing ever really goes out of fashion.—
Michelle Mastro,
The Spruce,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
In the years since, Harry, 41, has made several short trips back to the UK, most notably attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and his father King Charles III’s coronation in 2023.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
-
My brother in-law was an incredible husband and an amazing father to their boys.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
With one out in the sixth and Nick Loftin at third, Tolbert twice failed to get down safety-squeeze bunts.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
20 June 2026
-
Ryan Ward scored the winning run after Baltimore catcher Samuel Basallo failed to catch right fielder Tyler O’Neill’s throw to the plate.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Founder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founder. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
