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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flounder
But the deal floundered when the CBS executives would not accept anything less than 51% ownership – and control – of the channel.
—
Michael J. Socolow, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Through the first seven games after the Red Sox’s coaching purge — which included hitting coach Peter Fatse, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and major-league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin — Boston’s offense is still floundering.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 3 May 2026
Reconstruction in the South was floundering.
—Fergus M. Bordewich, Time, 30 Apr. 2026
The additional billions that Moscow has reaped because of the Iran war is easing some pressure off Russia’s floundering economy and the Kremlin’s ability to finance the conflict in Ukraine.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Michael J. Socolow, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Through the first seven games after the Red Sox’s coaching purge — which included hitting coach Peter Fatse, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and major-league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin — Boston’s offense is still floundering.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 3 May 2026
Reconstruction in the South was floundering.
—Fergus M. Bordewich, Time, 30 Apr. 2026
The additional billions that Moscow has reaped because of the Iran war is easing some pressure off Russia’s floundering economy and the Kremlin’s ability to finance the conflict in Ukraine.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounder
Verb
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In other words, voters didn’t accidentally stumble into supporting term limits.—
Jovani Patterson,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
-
The Bucs gave up nearly 26 points per game in the final two months of the season while stumbling to a 2-7 finish.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Women in America’s boardrooms made strides as corporations shuffled their mostly White and male lineups in the face of the historic pushback in 2020.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
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Tall soldiers in bearskin caps shuffled a few inches to the left, or right, to give the parade its proper visual proportions.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The two finished atop a crowded field that also featured Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who both struggled to break through in a GOP contest overshadowed by the feud between the two front-runners.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
20 May 2026
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Mergers might encourage other states to offer similar programs as a way of funnelling more students into struggling four-year campuses.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Grgich stomped grapes at age 3.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
15 May 2026
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International researchers have officially identified Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, a massive dinosaur that has stomped its way into the record books as the largest ever found in Southeast Asia.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Verb
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From a slew of acids, designed to slough off dead skin cells, to masks that help draw and absorb oil, the sheer array can be overwhelming.—
Diana Tsui,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
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My book tries to slough the stigma from the words, to say it all aloud without shame.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flounder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flounder. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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