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
Stark’s also taken on new management in Openstage co-founder Sam Jackson and Liza Owen. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 For beauty founders, launching your brand in retail stores carries symbolic weight. — Rhea Cartwright, Vogue, 2 Oct. 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
  • Atlantika Films’ Nano Arrieta-creator and producer with Claudia Ruíz — shares the writing room with Popy Blasco, Ibai Ariztegi and Bárbara Zemelman.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Official outlets can quote from posts on fake accounts whose creators masquerade as ordinary members of the public, making a fringe claim seem normal.
    — RENÉE DIRESTA, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of creator
Verb
  • One of those companies collapsed as its stock price plummeted 99%.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase briefly collapsed on the court during Friday’s playoff win over the Dallas Wings.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • But this is an album that’s apparently about the artist’s double life, and the questions that are bound to be at the forefront of any curious listener’s mind go unaddressed.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Her bravery reverberates across the country and the crimes against her will not go unpunished.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of go
Noun
  • That figure is the first half of the show’s title, the activist, author, and playwright Larry Kramer, who co-founded Gay Men’s Health Crisis and ACT UP and was instrumental in bringing the AIDS crisis to public attention.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Steinbeck’s novel is largely centered around the Hamiltons (who emigrate from Ireland to the author’s beloved Salinas Valley) and the Trasks (who move to California from the East Coast).
    — Max Gao, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of author
Verb
  • If the Dodgers flop this October, the owners are not going to suddenly back off a salary cap.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of flop
Verb
  • With their feelings for each other blossoming, the two go out for dinner, which is full of Rushville patrons with lingering hatred for Hal.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Kim went out and carded four birdies in his opening eight holes in the final round before making an eagle on the 13th to really grab hold of the moment.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of go out
Noun
  • Ellison clinched the deal by sweetening the offer price and bringing his father, Larry Ellison, in to personally guarantee funding.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Gyllenhaal’s father, Stephen Gyllenhaal, is a director and her mother, Naomi Foner, a screenwriter.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of father
Verb
  • The three-stage rocket failed during its debut mission in October 2021 but is now riding a streak of four straight successes.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The financial troubles are especially concerning because the Los Angeles Unified School District has failed to meet past budget reduction targets, the report concluded, and the stakes have become higher, with solutions more painful to carry out.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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