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
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
Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
Stephen Gutowski is the founder of the Reload.
—Stephen Gutowski, Washington Post, 16 June 2026
Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
Judging just by the opening day crowd at the new outlet on Route 44 in Avon, the company’s model shows no sign of foundering despite the turbulent economy.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for founder
Noun
An hour before his death, Smith had been volunteering to bring food to homeless people, according to an Instagram post by Scott Wagers, a pastor and founder of the outreach group Community Homeless Alliance Ministries.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
Stephen Gutowski is the founder of the Reload.
—Stephen Gutowski, Washington Post, 16 June 2026
Verb
Although in the commercial world, many print publications have foundered, data indicate that for alumni magazines, print remains powerful.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
Judging just by the opening day crowd at the new outlet on Route 44 in Avon, the company’s model shows no sign of foundering despite the turbulent economy.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for founder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founder
Noun
-
The adventure content creator had amassed more than 320,000 followers on Facebook, while some of his reels garnered millions of views.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
What’s more impressive is that the breakout horror hit, directed by YouTube creator Curry Barker, has had four consecutive weekends that were larger than its already-impressive $17 million debut.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Funding is needed imminently to stabilize the building, which is suffering from a leaky roof and water damage and whose upper walls are at risk of collapsing.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Eleven homes have collapsed within the national seashore in Rodanthe since May 2020, according to the national seashore.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Sometimes a little luck can go a long way, and Japan found that out firsthand in its 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in group stage action in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
-
There are more than 20,000 UFC fans on the Ellipse of the White House, and nearly all of them went wild when Diego Lopes took down Steve Garcia in the second round of the first fight.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
In a 2,000-word research report published on the site, the authors said B2B marketing has undergone a structural transformation and warned of moving to fast to deploy AI.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
16 June 2026
-
Ghosh is the author of the bestselling Ibis Trilogy, composed of Sea of Poppies (short-listed for the Man Booker Prize), River of Smoke, and Flood of Fire.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The doctor took Easton from my husband and placed him on the bed seat and tried to sit him up, and Easton flopped over.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Dec. 2025
-
No slots will be played in Manhattan, where zero casinos won approval in earlier rounds of the licensing process, and Brooklynites will just have to dip over to the Aqueduct after a Coney Island project, which faced intense local opposition, also flopped.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Research at several universities in New York indicates that just having a conversation that promotes mental health on campus normalizes the idea that students will go out to seek help for themselves.—
Anyssa McCalla,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026
-
Nothing ever really goes out of fashion.—
Michelle Mastro,
The Spruce,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
His father then held the seat from 2003 until 2011.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
Similarly compelling is ‘Home Going,’ in which Clemmons traces her father’s family’s migration to Los Angeles in the 1970s, motivated by the promise of economic opportunities that had previously seemed out of reach for Black people.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
State officials said dikes could fail near the town of Mount Vernon, which is southwest of Everson, as the Skagit River approaches a potentially record-setting crest.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
12 Dec. 2025
-
The incident is widely considered one of the most painful moments of the war for Israelis and sparked fresh outrage at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to secure a hostage deal.—
Dana Karni,
CNN Money,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Founder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founder. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
