1
as in collapsed
to be unsuccessful
the theater company foundered after its corporate funding dried up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tumbled
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
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Recent Examples of foundered
But past negotiations foundered on less ambitious demands.
—
Bobby Ghosh, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
The arrest came as a relief to many on campus and in the surrounding Providence community, who endured five days of fear and uncertainty as the investigation foundered with few leads.
—Tovia Smith, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025
Instead, the bipartisan talks to extend the subsidies foundered, setting the stage for a massive spike in health care premiums next year.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 15 Dec. 2025
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
This is a significant year, marking 50 years since the Fitzgerald foundered in a Lake Superior storm.
—Jay Gabler, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025
The stock price, which foundered since Discovery acquired WarnerMedia from AT&T in April 2022, hit a three-year high Wednesday after the company announced its formal auction process.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
Bobby Ghosh, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
The arrest came as a relief to many on campus and in the surrounding Providence community, who endured five days of fear and uncertainty as the investigation foundered with few leads.
—Tovia Smith, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025
Instead, the bipartisan talks to extend the subsidies foundered, setting the stage for a massive spike in health care premiums next year.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 15 Dec. 2025
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
This is a significant year, marking 50 years since the Fitzgerald foundered in a Lake Superior storm.
—Jay Gabler, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025
The stock price, which foundered since Discovery acquired WarnerMedia from AT&T in April 2022, hit a three-year high Wednesday after the company announced its formal auction process.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foundered
Verb
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Photo by Anne Arundel County Fire Department In Harford County, crews rescued four cows, a bull and a horse after a barn collapsed.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Sutton said Minneapolis policing has collapsed since the 2020 unrest, noting the city is authorized for about 900 officers but now has roughly 550, with only around 265 patrol officers available to police the entire city.—
Stepheny Price , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Shares of the Turkish state lender Halk Bankasi AS tumbled on Wednesday following the adjournment of a court status conference in the US related to charges of evading sanctions on Iran.—
Beril Akman,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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Amphenol — The maker of sensors and connectors tumbled more than 12%.—
Scott Schnipper,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But within a day, the entire hypothesis flopped.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Before us, in a curtain of matte black against the vibrant green, a beautiful, enormous silverback lays flopped on his back surrounded by eight gorillas of all ages wrestling around him.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Her appearance largely went unexplained, provoking outrage from Democrats.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Well up for the fight in front of their boisterous fans at the Estadio da Luz, however, Benfica went ahead 3-1 before half time and secured a heroic 4-2 win, plus qualification to the knockout phase playoff on goal difference, thanks to goalkeeper Anatoli Trubin’s 98th minute header.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the third lawsuit, a federal judge in Miami last summer ordered the facility to wind down operations over two months because officials had failed to do a review of the detention center's environmental impact.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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But shares slid Wednesday evening as Azure failed to deliver meaningful growth upside.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In some cases, the philtrum is so long that the red of the lip has folded under, completely concealing the top teeth when the mouth is neutral or even when smiling.—
Jolene Edgar,
Allure,
27 Jan. 2026
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Some genuinely funny moments emerge from the collision of Hollywood humdrum and superhero absurdity, as if The Studio had been folded lightly into the MCU, a sensibility that reflects Guest’s comedy pedigree on Community and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So far, though, the Swedish striker has struggled to consistently reach the level expected of him with Gabriel Jesus too injury-prone to be counted on over the course of a full season.—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Multiple royal watchers have claimed the prince has struggled to move beyond the fallout of his dramatic exit from royal life six years ago, citing professional setbacks and lingering personal tensions.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundered. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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