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
After the franchise floundered for several years at quarterback, the new trio in power quickly stabilized the position with Smith, who just threw for a career-high 4,320 yards in 2024.
—
Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Back to the Dems Meanwhile, Democrats continued to flop and flounder like so many trout pulled from the stream of progressive idealism and flung onto the rocks.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025
Efforts to create an EU presidency also floundered in a swamp of competing power centers and polysyllabic titles.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
The Tennessee Titans might have floundered on the field last year, but players say the team has made big strides behind the scenes to improve morale.
—Adam Tamburin, Axios, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
Back to the Dems Meanwhile, Democrats continued to flop and flounder like so many trout pulled from the stream of progressive idealism and flung onto the rocks.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025
Efforts to create an EU presidency also floundered in a swamp of competing power centers and polysyllabic titles.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
The Tennessee Titans might have floundered on the field last year, but players say the team has made big strides behind the scenes to improve morale.
—Adam Tamburin, Axios, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounder
Verb
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Woman Makes 'Creepy' Find In Thrift Store By Alice Gibbs Senior Life and Trends Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 0 A thrift store shopper from Scotland stumbled on something unexpected in her local store when a beautiful glass paperweight caught her eye.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
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Contractors renovating a historic home in Belgium stumbled upon the entrance to a secret tunnel identified by archaeologists as an escape route from World War I.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Then, around 200 million years ago, Pangaea began splitting apart, a geological breakup that formed the Atlantic Ocean, and eastern North America shuffled toward its current position on the globe.—
Alexandra Witze,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Apr. 2025
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The Phillies can shuffle their rotation with the benefit of two upcoming off days.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And their struggling offense is becoming a major concern.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
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Behind her glamorous exterior, the real Dorothy was a closeted lesbian who struggled with substance abuse and was mistreated by the men within Hollywood’s studio system before ultimately committing suicide.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Malone was more willing to lean on the trio of second-year players this year, but the Nuggets have gotten stomped in their minutes without three-time MVP Nikola Jokić.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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John and Carlile get loud here, stomping and slamming around for a tight little radio-length banger. 75.—
Shana Naomi Krochmal,
Vulture,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The ever-popular HydraFacial uses non-invasive LED light therapy to brighten your skin; while the Southern Ceremony Citrus scrub sloughs dead skin cells with its namesake ingredient.—
Kate Donnelly,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
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These peels work by literally sloughing off the pigmented cells.—
Deanna Pai,
Glamour,
19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flounder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flounder. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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