1
as in struggling
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 shuffling
to move heavily or clumsily
the car floundered through the heavy wet snow, constantly getting stuck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in failing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of floundering
James Parker, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
Justin Herbert and company opened at 3-0, then took back-to-back Ls and narrowly escaped the floundering Miami Dolphins.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
In a battle for NFC supremacy, Tampa Bay exerted its dominance while the Niners’ season — which looked so promising last Thursday — appears to be in total flux following the likely season-ending injury to Fred Warner and San Francisco’s floundering performance.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
While the Gators are floundering at 1-3, Texas is 3-1.
—Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 1 Oct. 2025
Another game, another plane flying above Hard Rock Stadium to express Miami Dolphins fans’ displeasure with the floundering franchise.
—David Wilson, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Alexis Ohanian realized early on that traditional approaches to generating buzz were floundering in the digital age.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
After that, the team will have its bye week before hosting the floundering Cincinnati Bengals at Lambeau Field.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
And there were many others in the floundering nation-states of Asia and Africa who succumbed to the American ideology of individual aggrandizement and self-cherishing.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
His father exists in the world, floundering about and getting high, but the larger and more potent existence that this man has, in your case, is in your stepson’s psyche.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
Justin Herbert and company opened at 3-0, then took back-to-back Ls and narrowly escaped the floundering Miami Dolphins.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
In a battle for NFC supremacy, Tampa Bay exerted its dominance while the Niners’ season — which looked so promising last Thursday — appears to be in total flux following the likely season-ending injury to Fred Warner and San Francisco’s floundering performance.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
While the Gators are floundering at 1-3, Texas is 3-1.
—Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 1 Oct. 2025
Another game, another plane flying above Hard Rock Stadium to express Miami Dolphins fans’ displeasure with the floundering franchise.
—David Wilson, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
Alexis Ohanian realized early on that traditional approaches to generating buzz were floundering in the digital age.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
After that, the team will have its bye week before hosting the floundering Cincinnati Bengals at Lambeau Field.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
And there were many others in the floundering nation-states of Asia and Africa who succumbed to the American ideology of individual aggrandizement and self-cherishing.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floundering
Verb
-
Six of their big chances came against struggling Forest, with Newcastle converting just one of those, while four more came in the wild 3-2 defeat against Liverpool.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Despite rapid growth, many marketers remain in the early stages of maturity—focused on automating legacy processes and struggling to measure ROI.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The technology included corrupt automatic shuffling machines that read cards and predicted which player had the best hand.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Card-reading contact lenses, X-ray poker tables, trays of poker chips that read cards, hacked shuffling machines that predict hands.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Footage of a father stumbling around, apparently carrying the headless body of his baby?—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Remaining unclaimed playoff spots The final two playoff spots in the Western Conference are up for grabs, with FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake, the Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes all stumbling towards the finish line.—
Tom Bogert,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The sound of her stomping up the staircase causes her parents to share a look of weary consternation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
-
But only the faithful know everything about the Mushroom Kingdom’s shell-stomping messiah.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
18 Oct. 2025
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 29 Oct. 2025.
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