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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 series tells the story of Jossi, a floundering actor who lies his way into a casting call reserved for Jewish performers. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026 Ted Lasso, sports comedy-drama television series starring Jason Sudeikis as an American football coach who is appointed manager of AFC Richmond, a floundering English soccer club. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2026 Marvel similarly spent a decade effectively building its stories and characters toward Infinity War and Endgame has since been criticized for floundering a bit — awkwardly trying and discarding various characters and stories. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026 That company floundered in the pandemic, but Speier continued to make unrealistic promises to customers. — Julia Coin july 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for flounder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounder
  1. stumble
  2. shuffle
  3. struggle
  4. stomp
  5. slough
Verb
  • The Miami Dolphins stumbled through a lopsided preseason loss to the New York Giants, sustained a key injury and continued sorting through roster questions before the season opener.
    — Jeff Kleinman, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Most injuries occurred as residents were tossed from beds or stumbled in the dark; trains and airport links were briefly disrupted, a Tokyo water main burst, and hundreds lost power.
    — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of stumble
Verb
  • Canden Arciniega shuffled on the hot granite terrace on a mid-August morning, counting the names on her list.
    — Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Keeping your eye on Bredeson is as hard as tracking a ball beneath shuffling cups.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of shuffle
Verb
  • The Sparks struggled early, missing 12 of their first 16 shots from the field.
    — John W. Davis, Oc Register, 25 Aug. 2026
  • For now, Neda, a 34-year-old Tehran resident struggling with kidney disease and needing medication, is holding her breath as she is once again forced to buy only half of her monthly dose.
    — Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of struggle
Verb
  • To help with this, each box comes with a selection of rockets to stomp with.
    — Grace Dean, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Each day, the women were woken at six, with the sounds of stomping boots and barking dogs.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of stomp
Verb
  • With a mix of ultra-rich hydrating oils—including coconut, olive, and soybean—plus quillaja saponaria bark extract to gently slough away dead skin cells, this formula works as an intensive treatment to help repair skin overnight.
    — Mary Honkus, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Powered by microcrystals, this is an excellent physical exfoliant that sloughs away dead skin with ease—without being overly harsh of course.
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of slough

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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 26 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flounder

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flounder

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