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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of foundered
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foundered
Verb
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In October, the company’s stock collapsed to less than $1 per share after a debt deal, down from its peak of nearly $235 per share in 2019.—
Iris Kwok,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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When the old order collapsed, Iran’s networks were ready.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Names like Mario Batali and Gino D’Acampo, along with tertiary institutions like Bon Appétit and major media organizations, have tumbled from prominence due to allegations of toxic or bullying behavior.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
12 Mar. 2026
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While Democrats have more negative feelings about the court, the poll found that Republican confidence has also tumbled in recent years.—
Marissa Martinez,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His hair flopped greasily over his ears.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Jokic either fell or flopped — depending on who tells it — over the top of George four minutes into the game when the burgeoning Utah star tried the maneuver.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Guillermo Rojas Ortega and Juan Villaseñor went with a carne asada burrito, an al pastor burrito and two tacos de cabeza.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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Peterson was just 5-of-17 from the field, but went 13-of-16 from the free throw line to finish with 24 points.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The family on Wednesday filed a wrongful-death claim against the Los Angeles Unified School District, alleging school officials failed to investigate reports of bullying, adequately supervise student interactions or implement effective safety measures.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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The conflict was sparked by Hezbollah targeting Israel after the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, breaking a 2024 ceasefire that in any case had largely failed.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The nonfiction unit will be folded into Sony Pictures TV Studios president Katherine Pope’s portfolio, SPT chairman Keith Le Goy wrote in a memo to staff Wednesday.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Mar. 2026
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The division previously reported directly to LeGoy but will now be folded within Sony Pictures Television Studios, which is run by President Katherine Pope.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Alcantara struggled in his World Baseball Classic debut three years ago for his native Dominican Republic, which didn’t advance out of pool play that year.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
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The 30-year-old offensive tackle — who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2019 season — was brought to Charlotte in 2024 as a reserve option at tackle for the Panthers, who were interested in bolstering an offensive line that struggled mightily the year before.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundered. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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