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
Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Bitcoin, once touted as digital gold, is floundering as gold and silver rocket to record highs and traders brace for a Federal Reserve game-changer.
—Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
That could help a stock that has been floundering as of late.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
The Mavericks were winners of two consecutive games over the floundering Utah Jazz.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 2026
Across town, rival USC is young and floundering without star guard JuJu Watkins, out for the season recovering from a torn ACL.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 19 Jan. 2026
Stephen Ross, the Miami Dolphins’ majority owner since 2009, is now looking for his eighth different head coach in a parade of floundering, flailing and failing.
—Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
After the crash, the driver can be seen floundering in the pool after being ejected from her vehicle.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
In the meantime, Carolina botched an opportunity against Seattle to clinch the South on Sunday while Tampa Bay was busy floundering its way to a loss against Miami.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
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
Before the Briton stepped away from being Mercedes race strategy chief and out of Toto Wolff’s shadow, Williams was floundering at the back of the grid, finishing last in the team standings four out of the prior five years.
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Bitcoin, once touted as digital gold, is floundering as gold and silver rocket to record highs and traders brace for a Federal Reserve game-changer.
—Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
That could help a stock that has been floundering as of late.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
The Mavericks were winners of two consecutive games over the floundering Utah Jazz.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 20 Jan. 2026
Across town, rival USC is young and floundering without star guard JuJu Watkins, out for the season recovering from a torn ACL.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 19 Jan. 2026
Stephen Ross, the Miami Dolphins’ majority owner since 2009, is now looking for his eighth different head coach in a parade of floundering, flailing and failing.
—Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
After the crash, the driver can be seen floundering in the pool after being ejected from her vehicle.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
In the meantime, Carolina botched an opportunity against Seattle to clinch the South on Sunday while Tampa Bay was busy floundering its way to a loss against Miami.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floundering
Verb
-
Bear, struggling with drug addiction, had no one urging her to fight the state’s case.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
-
He’s trapped in rolling crises of his own making and is struggling to sell voters on the idea of a strong American economy.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bridgerton treats it as though every woman got multiples of their yearbook photo to hand around as headshots, and Benedict’s taking what would have been treasured personal heirlooms and just shuffling through them and tossing out anyone with the wrong hair color.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Silvia showed them little affection or attention, shuffling quickly through the infants to feed, change, or hold them.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Reports of stumbling, slipping on the ice or just the indignity of having to yield to a robot were among common complaints submitted, Robertson said.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The latest trailer finds Mario and Luigi stumbling upon the green lizard in a spooky cave.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Han will be posted up by the Milennium Falcon and/or Oga’s Cantina, Luke will be stomping his Chanel boots in the marketplace, and Darth Vader will be force-choking dads in Grumpy tees.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
14 Jan. 2026
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Then there’s the people watching, from the tailgating to the communal divot stomping, full of dramatic sun dresses and hats with flourishes, seersucker suits and, yes, hats with flourishes.—
Eric Barton,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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 15 Feb. 2026.
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