as in failing
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1
as in struggling
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually
unprepared choristers who floundered helplessly through the musical number
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shuffling
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 floundering
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
Frank Andrews, CBS News, 12 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
Ray has a sympathy for these floundering men, not as victims but as people relying on the wrong structures for support.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Trump reportedly sent her to help Ron DeSantis' floundering gubernatorial campaign.
—Doris Alvarez Cea, Florida Times-Union, 16 Mar. 2026
At her home on Vancouver Island, the Canadian-American actor spends her days scanning the chop for whales, not floundering swimmers.
—Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2026
But internally, the team was floundering.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Or maybe this team just looked itself in the mirror and made the corrections that could have saved a floundering season.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
The shadow of the Epstein scandal Starmer's government, despite a massive Labour majority in parliament, has struggled to lower the cost of living and kick start a floundering British economy — hampered albeit by the wars in Ukraine and Iran and their devastating impact on global energy prices.
—Frank Andrews, CBS News, 12 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
Ray has a sympathy for these floundering men, not as victims but as people relying on the wrong structures for support.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Trump reportedly sent her to help Ron DeSantis' floundering gubernatorial campaign.
—Doris Alvarez Cea, Florida Times-Union, 16 Mar. 2026
At her home on Vancouver Island, the Canadian-American actor spends her days scanning the chop for whales, not floundering swimmers.
—Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2026
But internally, the team was floundering.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floundering
Adjective
-
The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.—
Noah Alcala Bach,
San Antonio Express-News,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Many libraries’ orders went unfulfilled, and all but the largest ones were left struggling to get popular titles to their patrons.—
Adeel Hassan,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Across Oahu’s North Shore, an area famed for its big-wave surfing, the small farms that help supply the island’s food are struggling after back-to-back storms in March brought the state’s worst flooding in two decades.—
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
This meant slowly shuffling into the wilderness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
At 2-0 down, and with Nuno Espirito Santo shuffling to a back-four, there was a flicker of a pulse and two decent saves from Nick Pope.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In a video shared on Facebook by comedian Mike Goldstein, the man can be seen stumbling out of the bathroom while still fastening his belt.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
Arriving at Badlands National Park feels like stumbling upon Mars.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Vandenbroucke verifies that the worst way to respond is cranking up your own television or music, stomping your feet, or pounding on the walls or ceiling.—
Karla Walsh,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
-
We’re treated to a surreal sequence wherein Cassie transforms into the 50-Foot Woman, stomping all over Downtown Los Angeles like a monster movie, which all seems like a pretext for a scene where Sweeney’s giant boobs burst through the windows of a building.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
The skyway corridors with highest density sit directly atop the most languishing streetscapes, Spencer said, and vice versa.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.—
Tom MacCubbin,
orlandosentinel.com,
6 Mar. 2021
-
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
15 May 2020
Cite this Entry
“Floundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floundering. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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