flounder

verb

Definition of floundernext
1
as in to stumble
to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually unprepared choristers who floundered helplessly through the musical number

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flounder The books might not be a one-to-one, but Phillips wrote about the high life around him as his own family finances floundered in the shadow of the Great Depression. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026 The Indiana Fever floundered in a home game against the Washington Mystics, losing 93-77 on Sunday. — Tilly Robinson, IndyStar, 21 Sep. 2026 The Angels, floundering toward another last-place finish, fired Minasian in June. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Plaintiffs are so far hard to find Trump’s other tools to impose his protectionist agenda already have floundered in court. — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flounder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounder
  1. stumble
  2. shuffle
  3. struggle
  4. stomp
  5. slough
Verb
  • Almost sounds silly now, with the way the team has stumbled and bumbled its way through the first four games.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Of the seven clubs that had 14 or more players from their organizations appear in the WBC, several stumbled early and only the Phillies and Brewers made the postseason.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Ivey and his partner persuaded the Crockfords dealer to rotate the high-value cards 180 degrees before shuffling them back into the pack, citing some obscure superstition as justification.
    — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In the midst of the rush to finish my syllabi and opening week assignments, as my husband shuffled the kids into their sneakers and Crocs and the car for one last back-to-school outing, everything stopped.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • At that time, the company’s Fisher-Price, Barbie and American Girl brands were struggling to connect with changing consumer tastes and Mattel was reeling from the recent bankruptcy of Toys R Us.
    — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
  • But, like many Universities, Drexel has been struggling financially, in part due to declining enrollment.
    — Andrew Stelzer, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggle
Verb
  • The answer isn’t between stomping the gas pedal or leaving the car parked.
    — Bob Ackerman, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Handclaps, stomping percussion and a communal chorus create the kind of infectious energy that naturally gets people moving.
    — qygwork, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of stomp
Verb
  • Biossance’s Squalane + 10% Lactic Acid Resurfacing Serum pairs it with exfoliating lactic acid to slough away the dry skin that exacerbates the appearance of wrinkles.
    — Emily Orofino, Allure, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Out toward the edge, the star would boil unstably, sloughing off outer layers and explosively ejecting mass.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of slough

Browse Nearby Words

flouncing
flounder
floundered
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Cite this Entry

“Flounder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flounder. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flounder

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flounder

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