1
as in to stumble
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
unprepared choristers who floundered helplessly through the musical number
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shuffle
to move heavily or clumsily
the car floundered through the heavy wet snow, constantly getting stuck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flounder
Even as Marvel’s cinematic oeuvre slid into increasing irrelevance, DC floundered.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Bennett had five coaches in six Calgary seasons and his career was floundering before coming to the Panthers.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2025
The Jaguars traded up three spots to select the former Colorado standout in the draft and are counting on him to help change the fate of the floundering franchise.
—Mark Long, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 June 2025
Still, the Agency has continued to flounder in terms of recruiting, retaining and promoting women of color.
—Christina Hillsberg, People.com, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Bennett had five coaches in six Calgary seasons and his career was floundering before coming to the Panthers.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2025
The Jaguars traded up three spots to select the former Colorado standout in the draft and are counting on him to help change the fate of the floundering franchise.
—Mark Long, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 June 2025
Still, the Agency has continued to flounder in terms of recruiting, retaining and promoting women of color.
—Christina Hillsberg, People.com, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounder
Verb
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Symptoms include shivering, memory loss, stumbling, confusion and sleepiness.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
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Nonetheless, everything in Yountville is a short stroll, or stumble, from Jessup.—
Lela London,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
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Fuller has pushed back on these claims by sharing the app's source code for shuffling and dealing virtual cards.—
Andrew Montequin,
jsonline.com,
29 July 2025
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The Dolphins’ shuffling along the offensive line can be viewed through two different prisms.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
24 July 2025
Verb
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The party of the president usually struggles in a midterm election like next year's race to replace Peters.—
M.L. Elrick,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
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But AmeriCorps officials have struggled in recent years to provide financial information to auditors and have acknowledged the need for reforms.—
Dan Horn,
The Enquirer,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Reed and Sue, of course, refuse, so the Fantastic Four try to rally humanity and get ready for Galactus to stomp around Manhattan, Godzilla style.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 July 2025
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The bird didn’t let up until the man basically stomped its head down on the ground and held it there.—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Lactic and glycolic acids work to slough away dead cells on the skin’s surface, while azelaic and tranexamic acids inhibit tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for melanin production.—
Emily Orofino,
Vogue,
29 June 2025
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Both experts say that dry brushing, the physical exfoliant that sloughs away dead skin cells, can be beneficial to keeping strawberry legs at bay.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flounder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flounder. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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