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
On screen, some of our best artists have foundered in translation.
—
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
But the president didn’t make clear why a federal takeover of a small airline that has foundered for years would be an efficient use of capital or benefit American taxpayers.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
Although in the commercial world, many print publications have foundered, data indicate that for alumni magazines, print remains powerful.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
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
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
But the president didn’t make clear why a federal takeover of a small airline that has foundered for years would be an efficient use of capital or benefit American taxpayers.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 2 May 2026
Although in the commercial world, many print publications have foundered, data indicate that for alumni magazines, print remains powerful.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foundered
Verb
-
On May 9, 1873—Black Friday—stocks collapsed, and fights broke out on the floor of the exchange, which was forced to close.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
Like how the 1964 claims of a North Vietnamese attack in the Gulf of Tonkin collapsed.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Shares tumbled on the announcement.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
-
Dave & Buster's tumbled more than 15% after the restaurant and family entertainment company badly missed Wall Street's first-quarter profit targets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Replay shows the defender never made meaningful contact and the offensive player overly-exaggerated the contact (flopped).—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
-
That fad, alas, had run its course, and the Bicentennial Pet Rock flopped.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Benintendi went deep after pinch-hitter Sam Antonacci doubled off Fernando Cruz (4-2).—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
News of his upcoming match went viral on Weibo, with the hashtag racking up more than 24 million views.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Two other ships owned by Lan, priced at about $175,000 each, have also failed to find buyers.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
-
Staff at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System recommended Tuesday that the board drop United Healthcare plans after negotiations with the insurer over next year’s premiums failed to yield lower rates.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Sequence unraveled, and with it the onward rush, progression, the sense of one event coming after another; my understanding of cause and effect, of the chronological chopping-up of time both personal and historical—before and after, premodern and modern—all blurred, folded, unraveled out of reach.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
Companies tallied their emissions, governments folded those tallies into national inventories, and the rest of us took the sum on trust.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Once her shots started to fall, the Sparks struggled to contain her.—
Jordan Puente,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
The group struggled to find relevance in the aftermath of Kath’s death, largely thanks to shifting musical tastes.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundered. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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