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
Dino Grandoni The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foundering
Noun
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Just over 700 people — less than a third of the total number of crew and passengers — survived the sinking.—
Pilar Arias,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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The most common cause is underwater earthquakes that force the seafloor to move vertically, either rising or sinking, which displaces massive volumes of water.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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We’re used to seeing Survivor players doubling over or collapsing after an exhausting challenge in intense heat.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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But those assumptions are collapsing under the weight of new realities.—
Klaus Schwab,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Unharmed species can fill the gaps left behind, keeping the ecosystem tumbling along.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
29 Oct. 2025
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Despite the latest meme stock frenzy, Beyond Meat has nonetheless still fallen 23% so far in 2025 after tumbling 58% in 2024.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When a school receives five failing ratings, a 2015 Texas law requires the campus in question be closed or a state takeover of the entire district.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Nov. 2025
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Howe made three changes at half-time — Ramsey for Gordon, Osula for Woltemade, Schar for Krafth — but if anything, Newcastle regressed, failing to manage a shot on target between the 39th and 89th minute.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Van Gogh, now visually fitting in with his family, then scampered about his habitat with his ears flopping along with him.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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With Ares flopping, the insider says Leto’s currency in town has run colder than Morbius’ vampire blood.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement Her victory also carries national implications for Democrats, who are struggling to chart a path between progressive energy and centrist caution ahead of the 2026 midterms.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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Always Greener, which scored 15 nominations on the annual Brit List, is a high concept script that follows a struggling artist, haunted by past failure, who is given a one-in-a-million chance to become his rich and successful doppelganger from a parallel universe.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Vogue is folding Teen Vogue into its own site.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
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With its shorter, non-folding collar, a mock neck gives you that same cozy feel as a turtleneck — without bunching or folding over.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
1 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Police reportedly conducted a welfare check at Lucero’s home last Tuesday after Vallejos told a healthcare company his mother had been missing for about a week.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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Some popular apps are missing, such as Apple Podcasts and Apple Music.—
Patrick George,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundering. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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