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
While the Jets offense floundered as a whole, there were some positives to take away from Engstrand’s first season as offensive coordinator.
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Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
After the crash, the driver can be seen floundering in the pool after being ejected from her vehicle.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
In the meantime, Carolina botched an opportunity against Seattle to clinch the South on Sunday while Tampa Bay was busy floundering its way to a loss against Miami.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 29 Dec. 2025
The team has a Week 17 road clash with the Chargers before hosting the floundering Colts in Week 18.
—Patrick Sung, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flounder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flounder
Verb
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Government agencies and businesses that invest in this training, and that insist every critical number survives a deterministic check, will capture AI's benefits without stumbling into its blind spots.—
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Dodge, still suffering the consequences of axing the popular previous generations of Charger and Challenger muscle cars, saw sales stumble down 28% compared with the previous year.—
Verb
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The unit was constantly shuffled this season, and the Trojans deployed six different offensive line combinations while still managing to have one of the most efficient offenses in the Big Ten Conference under position coach Zach Hanson.—
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Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Verb
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His strength on defense was particularly impressive for a freshman, as TCU big men Xavier Edmonds and David Punch struggled to create good looks inside the lane thanks in large part to the defense of Peat.—
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Players throughout the Heat’s rotation struggled to make shots.—
Verb
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Jenkins brutally stomped and punched Coto, who was severely injured and put on life support.—
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Take it slower and stomp a path through new snow or ski on a frozen pond.—
Verb
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Primarily, there are beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) courtesy of lipo hydroxy acid (LHA), a deep-penetrating chemical exfoliant that gently sloughs off old, dead cells to reveal brighter, fresher skin.—
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The stand collar is ideal for keeping the chill out, too, while a water-resistant fabric sloughs off rain and snow with ease.—
Cite this Entry
“Flounder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flounder. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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