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
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Recent Examples of foundered
Authentic specializes in acquiring and investing in famous retail properties that have foundered.
—
Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
The site contains remains from multiple vessels, suggesting a history of merchant ships that likely foundered in the same treacherous area while approaching the shore.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
Courts have interpreted Section 230 immunity broadly, and many earlier attempts to hold platforms accountable for child harm have foundered on it.
—Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
The Eagles entered the 2025 season with a top-tier roster and foundered with an insufficient offensive system.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The kid who gets straight A’s through high school may struggle more in college than the one who foundered in ninth grade, figured out what went wrong, and then kept going.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
The site contains remains from multiple vessels, suggesting a history of merchant ships that likely foundered in the same treacherous area while approaching the shore.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
Courts have interpreted Section 230 immunity broadly, and many earlier attempts to hold platforms accountable for child harm have foundered on it.
—Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
The Eagles entered the 2025 season with a top-tier roster and foundered with an insufficient offensive system.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
The kid who gets straight A’s through high school may struggle more in college than the one who foundered in ninth grade, figured out what went wrong, and then kept going.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foundered
Verb
-
Bulgaria's previous conservative government collapsed in December after nationwide anti-corruption protests drew hundreds of thousands of mainly young people to the streets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The climax hit, and as every Phish fan knows, nearly collapsed the song before Anastasio brought the chicky-chicky guitar back in.—
Jeff Miller,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Inside him an acrobat tumbled over death.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
American Airlines ' stock tumbled nearly 5%, while United Airlines ' slipped more than 2%.—
Christina Cheddar Berk,Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cuomo’s podcast and mayoral bid flopped.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The comedy flopped at the box office, but Drop Dead Gorgeous proved ahead of its time — the movie cast Amy Adams in her first film role — and has since been declared a cult classic.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Last year Payton Tolle’s big league debut was one of the highlights of the season, as the gigantic left-hander with a mustache as big as his personality went toe-to-toe with Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes and struck out eight in a memorable Friday night showdown.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
McDaniels hit just one triple as the Wolves went 9 for 34 from beyond the arc, but 64% from the paint.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While Rosenior would have been expected to coax better performances from those available, Chelsea’s attackers have failed to step up.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Police say two suspects dressed in black hoodies failed to get inside.—
Jeff Nguyen,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Since then, Blum, Clearing, and Tanya Bonakdar have all folded their tents and left the City of Angels.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Thurber said the system was dealing directly with Smith-Griffin to launch the chatbot, which was working before AllHere folded.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The wheels fell off in the top of the ninth inning, as reliever Devin Williams, who has struggled in his previous two outings, ensured the losing streak continued.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
While Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans have formed a nice inline platoon, Ja’Tavion Sanders has struggled with injuries and inconsistency over the past two seasons.—
Mike Kaye
April 22,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundered. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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