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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The weekend, for all its promise, tends to collapse into logistics, half-finished to-do lists and the quiet companionship of two people watching the same screen.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Intellectual humility — the willingness to update your beliefs when the machine pushes back, rather than digging in or collapsing entirely.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
16 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
-
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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That flopped, as have all subsequent attempts to protect nature permanently and on a large scale through the use of markets.—
John Reid,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
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Rick Pitino, Billy Donovan, Brad Stevens, Fred Hoiberg, John Calipari, Tim Floyd, Lon Kruger, Mike Montgomery, Leonard Hamilton all left college to try the NBA, and most flopped.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 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
-
In November 2025, the fathers told the court about their child’s birth and a day later, Uthmeier, the AG, began pushing his way into this case.—
Ann Marie Luft,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
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Ahmed’s family of ten—the couple has seven children, and also cares for Ahmed’s elderly father—lives in two adjoining caravans made of metal sheets.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
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In early 2022, after the state failed to pass a ban on such care for minors, Paxton wrote a legal opinion declaring transition care for minors to be child abuse.—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
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The city filed a lawsuit saying the federal government failed to perform required reviews of how the project would affect the health and safety of residents and the environment.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Founder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founder. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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