foundering 1 of 2

noun

as in sinking

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • In the seventh minute, Sonnett sprinted to challenge Pietra Tordin for the ball and seemed to make little contact before collapsing to the turf.
    — Asli Pelit, New York Times, 25 July 2026
  • However, the industry recently faced a significant shakeout, with many firms collapsing amid platform crackdowns.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 22 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
  • With 95% of enterprise AI projects failing to move from prototype to production, joining the 5% success group isn't about buying superior technology.
    — Gargi Ray, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • If the lead paint isn’t failing, priming and painting over the small section is typically OK as well.
    — Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 July 2026
Definition of failing
Verb
  • Staking helps protect tall or large-flowered dahlias from breakage and flopping over, especially after rain or strong wind.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 2026
  • LeBron James has spent decades getting calls with his Hall of Fame flopping.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of flopping
Verb
  • Americans who are already struggling to pay their bills are about to face more financial headwinds as new tariffs take effect and the ongoing Iran war pushes gas prices up.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 25 July 2026
  • The bear was panting and struggling with the placement of its paws and legs on the pole — which was carrying 7,200-volt wires at 22 feet high.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Definition of struggling
Verb
  • Although braids wind their way into many different areas of science, from protein folding to string theory, simply cracking the century-old case was enough of a reward for the trio.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
  • In a recent issue of Nature, researchers described modifying the AI protein-folding software AlphaFold to help identify key areas of gene-editing proteins responsible for off-target effects.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 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

Browse Nearby Words

foundered
foundering
founders
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundering. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on foundering

Nglish: Translation of foundering for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All