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
Liz Williams is the founder and principal designer of Liz Williams Interiors. — The Spruce, 25 Sep. 2026 Griffin, the founder of Citadel, moved the investment firm’s headquarters to Miami in 2022. — Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
The Queen Who Never Was is foundering; its captain is missing or maybe dead. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026 On screen, some of our best artists have foundered in translation. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 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
  • But while the creators of AI strive to set guardrails, the building of the infrastructure for the technology continues.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The 2026 schedule of festival activities includes gala screenings, anniversary screenings, and athlete and creator conversations.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of creator
Verb
  • Four American tourists died on Friday after a building collapsed due to a gas explosion in Athens, Greece, in a neighborhood near the Acropolis.
    — Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The possibility -- even likelihood -- of some rickety old thing collapsing under me never occurred to me.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • As previously reported, the Laneway shows in Perth and Adelaide have been scaled back and will go ahead as sideshows.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Many of those conversations went viral or became news in their own right.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of go
Noun
  • Flournoy was joined in conversation by Brit Bennett, author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Vanishing Half, and Raven Leilani, author of The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize-winning book Luster.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • La Presse said that a 2012 short story by Orelien had plagiarized passages from a book by French author Louis Pauwels, while a 2013 opinion piece copied from The Philippine Star newspaper.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of author
Verb
  • While the warehouse project has flopped, records show that in the last few months ICE has quietly expanded its detention system in other ways.
    — Jasmine Garsd, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The tall foliage of bearded iris (Iris germanica) begins flopping early in the growing season.
    — Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of flop
Verb
  • If approved, payments will go out 120 days after the settlement is finally approved, barring any objections or appeals, settlement administrators said.
    — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026
  • On that morning, a call went out to the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team, a local volunteer organization that is staffed with many expert climbers.
    — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of go out
Noun
  • In comparison, LaBeouf has long been open about his tumultuous childhood and has said that his father was a recovering addict, and at times abusive.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Charles’ brothers, Frederick, David and Bill, also inherited stakes in the company after their father’s death.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of father
Verb
  • Asif said the alliance reflected a belief among its members that existing security arrangements had failed to protect Gulf countries as the conflict involving Iran spread across the region.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The government, unable and unwilling to check their most voracious citizens and appetites, failed to tame the frontier.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 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 2 Oct. 2026.

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