floundering 1 of 2

adjective

as in failing

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floundering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of flounder
1
as in struggling
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 shuffling
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 floundering
Adjective
Or maybe this team just looked itself in the mirror and made the corrections that could have saved a floundering season. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
Google seemed hopelessly far behind, while Meta, despite spending billions to revive its floundering AI ambitions, had yet to establish itself as a serious contender. — Robert Hart, The Verge, 14 Oct. 2026 The unrest has fired the starting gun on what promises to be a vicious race between the far right and far left for the presidency, with much of the center floundering in the polls. — Melissa Bell, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 The Angels, floundering toward another last-place finish, fired Minasian in June. — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Yet some in the party say there is no upside for candidates in close races to leave the campaign for an event in another state with a president floundering in polls ‒ and there are questions about who will attend. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS) are up more than 4% this month, after floundering for much of this year. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 But please, save us from the talking points around the 'Protect College Sports Act' that is currently floundering around the Senate. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 In 2024, early data on the vaccine served as a turning point for the floundering field. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for floundering
  1. failing
  2. struggling
  3. shuffling
  4. dying
  5. stumbling
  6. stomping
  7. languishing
  8. declining
Adjective
  • The World Bank, International Monetary Fund and International Criminal Court, which all got failing grades in last year's survey, saw the biggest gains.
    — Andrea Shalal, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.
    — Noah Alcala Bach, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Jan. 2026
Definition of failing
Verb
  • But while most young people are struggling to land their first opportunity, some have jumped the line by building their own small businesses and startups—and young founders are now ramping up hiring even as companies across industries slow theirs.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The film includes flashbacks to his time in the war and features a parallel story about his young carer struggling to make ends meet.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of struggling
Verb
  • Green tea was served by gang members shuffling around in slippers.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of shuffling
Adjective
  • What’s the vibe for you, post-dying?
    — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 22 June 2026
  • Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.
    — Lauren David, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
Definition of dying
Verb
  • Resendiz finished strongly, sending Mazoudier stumbling backward in the final minute.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Not everybody getting off the ride, stumbling to see their picture on the wall, agrees that the thrills were worth the chills.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of stumbling
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 stomping
Adjective
  • What this effort points to is the need for a federal right of publicity statute, like the languishing NO FAKES bill.
    — Schuyler Moore, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • The skyway corridors with highest density sit directly atop the most languishing streetscapes, Spencer said, and vice versa.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Definition of languishing
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
Definition of declining

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Cite this Entry

“Floundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floundering. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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