foundering 1 of 2

noun

as in sinking

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foundering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of founder
1
as in collapsing
to be unsuccessful the theater company foundered after its corporate funding dried up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tumbling
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

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 foundering
Noun
The process, known as lithospheric foundering, resembles a geological process on Earth in which portions of the planet's outermost layer sink into the mantle. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 23 Jan. 2026 Any major foundering in New Mexico could have long-lasting consequences. — Elliot Haspel, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
Axel Disasi was taken underwater, foundering and falling. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 29 May 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 Joel Gratz is having a bluebird day at a time when the rest of the Colorado ski industry is foundering. — Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026 These artifacts, like the late 20th- and early 21st-century shipwrecks rusting in Caicos Banks, were monuments to the foundering dreams of successive generations, who tried and failed to make the land pay. — Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026 Dinosaurs were flourishing, not foundering, as kings of the Cretaceous right up until the end, according to the new study. — Dino Grandoni The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2025 Beneath the opaque veneer that cult wineries like Bryant have striven to maintain, is that business model foundering in a changing wine market? — Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foundering
  1. sinking
  2. collapsing
  3. tumbling
  4. failing
  5. flopping
  6. struggling
  7. folding
  8. missing
Noun
  • The sinking has claimed at least two lives and prompted a multi-agency search and recovery operation in one of the Bay Area's busiest waterways.
    — James Ward, USA Today, 18 July 2026
  • The body of a second victim was recovered Thursday following the sinking of a three-level yacht near Alcatraz Island and has been identified by San Francisco authorities as a Sacramento County resident.
    — Michael McGough Updated July 16, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of sinking
Verb
  • The most recent fatality was on July 11, when a 64-year-old Greek hiker died after collapsing on a trail.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
  • De la Fuente’s side are exceptional at counter-pressing — collapsing on to the ball to quickly regain possession and sustain their attack to suffocate the other team.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of collapsing
Verb
  • The pickup appeared to veer off the roadway before tumbling down the mountainside and eventually coming to rest at the bottom of the cliff, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026
  • Something, oh, like a roly-poly, 73-year-old manager tumbling ass over teakettle, as the old-timers say, when a bat thrown by Vladimir Guerrero clipped his left hip.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of tumbling
Verb
  • Plaintiffs alleged that the event promoters were negligent in failing to secure required permits, not providing adequate security or crowd control and misrepresenting the event as safe for families, according to the statement.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
  • He was revisited by a vague feeling of physical ineptitude that’d haunted him since childhood; failing to throw the ball properly on sports day at primary school, his father watching.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
Definition of failing
Verb
  • However, tall varieties, which can reach 5 feet in height, should be staked to keep them upright and prevent them from flopping over nearby plants.
    — Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026
  • Brown has talked trash about Sixers center Joel Embiid and has accused him of flopping.
    — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of flopping
Verb
  • Her family has been struggling after her husband lost his job as a motorcycle rider and crossed the border into neighboring Niger to look for work.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • But he was lifted in the fourth inning, forcing Kotsay toward the team’s struggling bullpen earlier than expected.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of struggling
Verb
  • Embracing New Capabilities And Categories The future with physical AI is not just a robot folding laundry or a mechanical arm performing parcel sorting in a warehouse.
    — Beena Ammanath, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • This single, innovative component handles daily sun-tracking while also powering the protective folding sequence.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 July 2026
Definition of folding
Verb
  • Celeste was reported missing by family and friends on several occasions, starting in early 2024.
    — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • The pair were first reported missing on Thursday, July 16, but had not actually been seen in person since a week prior on July 9, the RCMP said in its initial news release.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 19 July 2026
Definition of missing

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foundering
founders
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Cite this Entry

“Foundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundering. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of foundering for Spanish Speakers

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