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
If no vocals are detected for five seconds, the speaker automatically plays the original vocals at 50% volume, providing a prompt to the floundering karaoke artist and enabling them to come back into the song with a helpful reminder.
—
Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
In the face of these challenges, Germany’s political center is floundering, and longtime observers are concerned that center-right parties might eventually cooperate with the AfD, which is polling in second place.
—Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2025
Ted Bundy Speculation While police floundered for answers, some community members began to create their own.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025
After the franchise floundered for several years at quarterback, the new trio in power quickly stabilized the position with Smith, who just threw for a career-high 4,320 yards in 2024.
—Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
In the face of these challenges, Germany’s political center is floundering, and longtime observers are concerned that center-right parties might eventually cooperate with the AfD, which is polling in second place.
—Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2025
Ted Bundy Speculation While police floundered for answers, some community members began to create their own.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025
After the franchise floundered for several years at quarterback, the new trio in power quickly stabilized the position with Smith, who just threw for a career-high 4,320 yards in 2024.
—Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounder
Verb
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Discovery: On a hike with her family, a 3-year-old stumbled across a 3,800-year-old Egyptian amulet.—
Justin Porter,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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Listen to this article The morning after his fifth suicide attempt, Rick Fisher stumbled to a church and pounded on the doors.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Pretty much everything else is shuffled off to the infotainment system, a single circular touchscreen that lives in the middle of the dash.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 Apr. 2025
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While events were shuffled around to fit a new schedule, the royals will also be about to pace themselves following the monarch's recent health setback.—
Stephanie Petit,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The 25-year-old struggled to impact the game and there was a disconnect between her and Clinton, her United team-mate.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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Atlanta's lineup has struggled tremendously this season, and using Elder as a trade piece to bring in a big-time hitter would be pretty smart.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Kiki Platform Mary Jane Few shoes have stomped their way into the fashion lexicon quite as rapidly as Marc Jacobs’s Kiki platforms.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2025
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Witnesses on the flight told authorities Augustin was stomping, yelling, shaking and being incoherent, the document continued.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA TODAY,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Tretinoin kicks cellular turnover into high gear, sloughing away dead skin and revealing the fresh, healthy skin below, while helping prevent clogged pores and breakouts and fading discoloration and uneven texture like fine lines.—
Emily Orofino,
Vogue,
5 Apr. 2025
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On the other hand, brightening alternatives like chemical exfoliants (think salicylic acid, glycolic acid) are great at sloughing off the top layer of your skin to reveal a fresh layer underneath.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flounder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flounder. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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