founders 1 of 2

noun

plural of founder
as in creators
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor Maria Montessori was the founder of an educational system dedicated to maximizing a child's creative potential

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

founders

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of founder
1
as in flops
to be unsuccessful the theater company foundered after its corporate funding dried up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in collapses
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 founders
Noun
On the flip side, several noted that the café can be crowded and dirty, and quite a few reviewers complained about the dearth of actual Corgi dogs (Trudy, a Corgi owned by one of Laqua’s co-founders, makes an occasional visit). — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 29 July 2026 The agreement with the Steiners, founders of EcommerceBytes, a newsletter covering the e-commerce industry, includes an additional $7 million in charitable donations, including to organizations supporting First Amendment rights. — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 The share of solo founders building companies with no institutional capital climbed from 22% in 2015 to 38% in 2024, according to Carta’s analysis of startup funding data. — Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 But many haven’t followed through on it, spurring criticism from one of the Giving Pledge’s founders, Melinda French Gates. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 22 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founders
  1. creators
  2. flops
  3. collapses
  4. authors
  5. fails
  6. goes
  7. fathers
  8. struggles
Noun
  • An isolated patient can find medical influencers, therapist creators, or medical humorists who translate the opaque language of healthcare into something human, tailored, and easier to understand.
    — Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • In his videos, he’s backed by an ensemble cast of recurring friends, family members and other creators.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 21 July 2026
Definition of creators
Verb
  • This cordless lamp comes in four warm neutrals, and all feature a ceramic shade that flops over its base like pastry dough.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 15 July 2026
  • But when weighed down by the moisture, the grass flops over and doesn't present itself as well to the cutting blade.
    — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 23 June 2026
Definition of flops
Verb
  • The balls are coated in panko breadcrumbs, then fried until the golden shell just holds together, and collapses with the first bite.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • Bishan Singh refuses to cross the border, lets out a cry, and collapses on the strip of land belonging to neither country.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Definition of collapses
Noun
  • The results, if confirmed, could force archaeologists to reevaluate the total population of the Amazon before Spanish and Portuguese colonization, the authors write in the study.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 29 July 2026
  • The authors noted that vessels stuck in this area carried biofouling organisms from different parts of the world and are now acquiring the same from the Gulf region.
    — Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 29 July 2026
Definition of authors
Verb
  • Witchel, who built physics simulations to predict athletic injury before pivoting to cognitive care, argues that statistical AI fails at the individual level.
    — Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • In turn, there is a perception that the endeavor is one big cash grab, one that is not worth the risk of embarrassment if the film fails critically and/or commercially.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 31 July 2026
Definition of fails
Verb
  • Just a little goes a long way with these picks, so snag mini bottles to discover what deserves real estate in your vanity.
    — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 25 July 2026
  • Chris Dowling’s film is earnest in its attempt to extract specifically Christian life lessons from a familiar tale of manchildren forced into growing up, and goes pretty light on the Bible-bashing relative to others in its cinematic church.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 July 2026
Definition of goes
Noun
  • The babies looked so similar that one of the fathers in the group, who happened to be a microbiology professor, offered to swab their cheeks, take a sample and run a DNA test.
    — Wendy Grossman Kantor, PEOPLE, 26 July 2026
  • Although their fathers have collaborated on multiple projects, including the movies Boomerang (1992) and Life (1999), Jasmine revealed to InTouch Weekly in 2022 that she was introduced to Eric by her uncle.
    — Ayana Herndon, InStyle, 25 July 2026
Definition of fathers
Verb
  • Missile salvos and militia attacks have choked key shipping lanes, damaged Saudi oil facilities and driven up global prices even as fragile diplomacy struggles to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and avert escalation.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • The film follows a young man who struggles to balance his mental problems, medication, and drugs with his musical ambitions.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 30 July 2026
Definition of struggles

Browse Nearby Words

foundering
founders
found fault (with)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Founders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founders. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on founders

Nglish: Translation of founders 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All