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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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
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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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

Browse Nearby Words

founded
founder
foundered
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Founder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founder. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All