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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foundering
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
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
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
Noun
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Actual sinking exercises provide valuable data on structural damage, flooding, shock effects, and sinking behaviour.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 June 2026
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So, when planning began for the Lincoln Memorial in the early 1910s, builders faced a real sinking problem.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Verb
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The environments where students develop communication skills are collapsing.—
Rachel Konrad,
Time,
9 Dec. 2025
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The effects of it — the societal collapse, the potential for a planet that becomes inhabitable, the domino effects of countries behaving badly and economies collapsing because of climate change — are very real issues that should be front and center of our conversations right now.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Those comments sent the stock market tumbling in Wednesday's session, resulting in the Dow Jones Industrial Average's worst day of the year.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
11 June 2026
-
The records keep tumbling in for Smriti Mandhana.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The Biden administration determined that Southwest had violated the law by failing to help customers who were stranded in airports and hotels, leaving many of them to scramble for other flights.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Dec. 2025
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Duke got the ball first and went for a fourth-and-goal at the 1 after failing to score from the 1 on three previous attempts.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The seam of my pants ripped from my ankle to my crotch, and the pants leg was just flopping.—
Scott Einsmann,
Outdoor Life,
12 Dec. 2025
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In the video, the mako shark bursts from the water and lands on the bow of the boat, flopping around before coming to rest near the front of the vessel.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Washington — While millions of Americans are struggling to find jobs in a tough labor market, healthcare is emerging as a lifeline for career changers.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Global consumers want more protein in every bite, but the dairy industry is struggling to give it to them.—
Dee-Ann Durbin,
Fortune,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The officer followed inside and told Morales to leave, but Morales allegedly pulled out a folding knife and pointed it at the officer, according to police.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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The keynote that launched the conference on Monday, June 8 set in motion a timetable which will culminate in the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the first folding iPhone going on sale.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Emilio Navarro, the mayor of Santiago Del Teide, offered his condolences to the families of the dead and said rescue crews continued Monday to search for the missing swimmer.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
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But the tensest exchange came over 11 minutes of missing bodycam footage, specifically of the transport of the evidence from McDonald's to the police station, when Wasser allegedly turned her camera off.—
Ben Brachfeld,
PEOPLE,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundering. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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