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
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Recent Examples of founder
Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
Critics have warned that such an imposition will spark capital flight as wealthy people decide to simply uproot, as Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have already started to do.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 3 Dec. 2025
Yet this plan foundered when confronted with Ukraine’s understandable loss aversion—breaching Russian defenses would have been an exceptionally bloody endeavor—and distracting rivalries among Ukrainian commanders and political leadership.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for founder
Noun
Among those killed was attorney Tara Arnold, an employee of Arnold & Itkin, who was married to co-founder Kurt Arnold, according to Houston TV station ABC 13.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
Critics have warned that such an imposition will spark capital flight as wealthy people decide to simply uproot, as Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have already started to do.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
That era foundered on the costly losses of multiple Mars probes.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 3 Dec. 2025
Yet this plan foundered when confronted with Ukraine’s understandable loss aversion—breaching Russian defenses would have been an exceptionally bloody endeavor—and distracting rivalries among Ukrainian commanders and political leadership.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for founder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founder
Noun
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Hudnut will be aided by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, who will also serve as an executive producer.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
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The latter features performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, instrumentalists and other creators actively working in the recording industry.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Klapper told Jam Press that the tower had partially collapsed under its own weight shortly before completion, preventing him from officially qualifying for the record.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Letting Thwaites collapse arguably violates the Antarctic Treaty System’s environmental-preservation clause, Minchew said.—
Christian Elliott,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Several recent special elections have gone well for Democrats, including a win in Virginia in September 2025.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
2 Feb. 2026
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After a skirmish, Pretti escaped from the officer and went toward the crowd.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Heather Rose is the Australian author of seven novels including her latest novel The Museum of Modern Love published this month by Algonquin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Enjoy engaging book discussions, gentle writing prompts for all levels, and occasional guest authors in a warm, supportive setting.—
Kris Slugg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trump loyalists flop all the time and live to flop once more.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
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Stiller’s character attempts to match the athletic feat in a heated rage by climbing high and belly-flopping right onto a drum kit as the music powers on.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bala can’t go out to buy clean water, because the bottles are too heavy to carry home.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
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Suzuki usually only goes out if one of the regular penalty-killers is in the box.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Mu Hee’s visits her Uncle and Aunt, and requests them to ask her father the whereabouts of her mother.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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My immediate reaction was to run close to the section to aid in the protection and safety of my father and mother, who was with me.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Previous attempts at a temporary truce between Russia and Ukraine have all failed to hold.—
Hira Humayun,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Close-range finishing The Bulls relied heavily on their 3-point shooting in Thursday’s loss as shots failed to fall inside the arc.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Founder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founder. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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