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
-
Last month, on the 114th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking, the museum’s Titanic exhibit flooded after heavy storms that week.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
-
With a top altitude of 1,100 feet, this position at the highest point in the AVA offers warmer nighttime temperatures than the valley floor thanks to the warm air rising and cool air sinking, while daytime temperatures are lower than in areas closer to sea level.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
The dread moving through professional offices right now is the sound of that assumption collapsing.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
-
Badham had barely escaped another collapsing production, an early version of The Wiz starring Diana Ross, when producer Robert Stigwood suddenly called him in to take over what was then still called Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night, based on Nik Cohn’s famous New York magazine article.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
In the black and Carrara marble lobby, the vibe is modern and futuristic, with a cacophonous waterfall tumbling down the walls in a stream of fluorescent colors and a lone scarlet grand piano bringing a pleasing pop of color.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
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Brent crude oil futures are more than 2% higher following the strikes, after tumbling 7% yesterday.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Following an on-site inspection in November 2020, the South Coast AQMD cited GKN Aerospace in 2021 for failing to maintain required emission records for volatile organic compounds, which are gases emitted from paints, coatings and solvents.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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But, following a string of disappointing national-team performances, including failing to qualify for the 1958 World Cup and shocking losses to both the Soviet Union and North Korea at the 1966 edition, the league reinstated the ban.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps the poster child for the flopping phenomenon is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
-
For all the bright spots on Islands’ state champion soccer team, nothing shone brighter than its golden hairdos flopping around the pitch.—
Jack Leo,
AJC.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
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After more than five innings of the Bulldogs trailing Liberty by one, struggling to get anything going, the Georgia third baseman crushed a two-run home run to left field.—
Sarah Spencer,
AJC.com,
1 June 2026
-
Hezbollah's use of hard-to-detect fiber optic drones has been deadly for the Israeli military, which is struggling to respond.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Incidentally, folding a T-shirt is one of the most challenging jobs for a robot as this article explains.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 May 2026
-
Over 157,000 tech workers lost their jobs in 2025 alone, with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft each cutting tens of thousands of roles, and many of those workers had spent years folding their identity into a company name.—
Juliette Han,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Bernice Courtemanche went missing 42 years ago as of Saturday.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Conducted in partnership with public opinion research firm PerryUndem, the research explored the gap between dominant cultural narratives about Black women and the stories Black women say are missing, distorted, or urgently needed.—
Dominique Fluker,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundering. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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