1
as in collapsed
to be unsuccessful
the theater company foundered after its corporate funding dried up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tumbled
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the twin towers started to sway and suddenly foundered
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foundered
The kid who gets straight A’s through high school may struggle more in college than the one who foundered in ninth grade, figured out what went wrong, and then kept going.
—
Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
But past negotiations foundered on less ambitious demands.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
The arrest came as a relief to many on campus and in the surrounding Providence community, who endured five days of fear and uncertainty as the investigation foundered with few leads.
—Tovia Smith, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025
Instead, the bipartisan talks to extend the subsidies foundered, setting the stage for a massive spike in health care premiums next year.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 15 Dec. 2025
That era foundered on the costly losses of multiple Mars probes.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 3 Dec. 2025
Yet this plan foundered when confronted with Ukraine’s understandable loss aversion—breaching Russian defenses would have been an exceptionally bloody endeavor—and distracting rivalries among Ukrainian commanders and political leadership.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
This is a significant year, marking 50 years since the Fitzgerald foundered in a Lake Superior storm.
—Jay Gabler, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025
The stock price, which foundered since Discovery acquired WarnerMedia from AT&T in April 2022, hit a three-year high Wednesday after the company announced its formal auction process.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
But past negotiations foundered on less ambitious demands.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
The arrest came as a relief to many on campus and in the surrounding Providence community, who endured five days of fear and uncertainty as the investigation foundered with few leads.
—Tovia Smith, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025
Instead, the bipartisan talks to extend the subsidies foundered, setting the stage for a massive spike in health care premiums next year.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 15 Dec. 2025
That era foundered on the costly losses of multiple Mars probes.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 3 Dec. 2025
Yet this plan foundered when confronted with Ukraine’s understandable loss aversion—breaching Russian defenses would have been an exceptionally bloody endeavor—and distracting rivalries among Ukrainian commanders and political leadership.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
This is a significant year, marking 50 years since the Fitzgerald foundered in a Lake Superior storm.
—Jay Gabler, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025
The stock price, which foundered since Discovery acquired WarnerMedia from AT&T in April 2022, hit a three-year high Wednesday after the company announced its formal auction process.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foundered
Verb
-
The Bulls eventually collapsed in a 136-120 loss to the Nuggets before a sellout crowd of 20,939, but the start of the latest rebuild that can’t be called a rebuild was off to an interesting first step nonetheless.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Desperate social media posts from residents reached a fever pitch over the past week, with residents sharing photos of sheets of ice on exterior walls and a ceiling collapsed on cars in a garage.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Robinhood shares tumbled 10% after the fintech app missed fourth-quarter revenue estimates.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Vizcaino tumbled from his vehicle and allegedly attempted to carjack multiple nearby vehicles while wielding a knife.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Flies and roach poop caused a mall food court chain’s Kendall location to fail inspection last week, a week after its Hialeah location also flopped inspection.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The Chiefs flopped in free agency and didn’t act quickly enough in a draft that had running back depth.—
Sam McDowell
February 5,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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So, owner Robert Kraft went with another familiar face and former Super Bowl champion, this time with head coaching experience already.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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As for accessories, Union went mostly minimal, save for a few pieces of gold jewelry to add a pop of color contrast to the mostly monochrome look.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Two months later, the appointment of another nominee, Keith Fountain, failed in a 5-4 decision of the Board of Directors, falling one short of the six votes necessary to confirm him.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Federal overreach has failed our children, with literacy rates falling and a bloated federal budget wasting taxpayer dollars.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Parchment may need to be cut or folded to get the right shape, while a lid is designed to fit its container perfectly.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Consumer advocates estimate that residential electricity costs are up close to 30% for many households since 2021 once rate hikes, fees, and fuel adjustments are folded in.—
Ashley Lutz,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The results showed that while standard chemical leaching struggled without gravity to move fluids, the microbes didn’t blink.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
-
The passenger was able to exit the truck while the suspect, still armed with the knife, struggled with the driver.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foundered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundered. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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