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 idea behind the deliberate sinking was to slow down the Soviet advance in the Balkans.
    — Marko Drobnjakovic, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • More than 3,000 families in the complex were affected by the quake, residents estimate, and most of the buildings were damaged, with some crushed, tilted, or sinking.
    — Tibisay Zea, Christian Science Monitor, 27 July 2026
Definition of sinking
Verb
  • Scientists have discovered that copper melts gradually rather than collapsing all at once under extreme heat.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Videos posted to social media showed buildings collapsing and panicked residents running and screaming, as dust filled the sky.
    — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapsing
Verb
  • White, the former Illinois secretary of state, is on the Snowballs’ advisory board, and Emmanuel McGhee, the tumbling team’s head coach, is also a coach for the Snowballs.
    — Chris Placek, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Wall Street investors sent Adobe shares tumbling from a 2021 high of $661 per share to as little as $202 in mid-June, when CFO Dan Durn announced his departure for a similar position at chipmaker Marvell.
    — David Bloom, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of tumbling
Verb
  • But by the time of his indictment, Lorch was in failing health and found incompetent to stand trial, and lawsuits against him and the church were dismissed due to statute of limitations issues.
    — Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Then Dart struggled again on Wednesday, failing to move the ball at all on a couple drives at the end of practice.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of failing
Verb
  • Battered cars with numbers sprayed on their sides are whipping around the dirt track of the Lebanon Valley Speedway, loose fenders flopping like overgrown bangs in the swirling dust.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Perez chugged around the bases before belly-flopping into third base with his trademark smile.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
Definition of flopping
Verb
  • Similar to Abrams, the young shortstop had shown a knack for exceptional, highlight-reel plays while struggling with consistency.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Flagship carriers including American, Lufthansa, Riyadh Air and Singapore Airlines are all struggling to navigate the lengthy, multi-year approval process for bespoke cabins.
    — Edward Russell, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of struggling
Verb
  • After ejection, the aircraft unfolds its folding wings and transitions to aerodynamic flight.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Hanna floated the idea of eventually selling Go Two to a larger company or folding it into a bigger portfolio down the line.
    — Kristi Dosh, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of folding
Verb
  • Ordinarily, the subtle tilt in the moon's orbit causes its shadow to pass just below, or above our planet, missing it entirely.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • In between, Nelson was fired after less than one season in New York in 1995-96, then coached in Dallas for eight seasons, missing 21 games with the Mavericks starting in December 2000 to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery.
    — John Raby, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of missing

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foundering
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Cite this Entry

“Foundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundering. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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