floundering 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of flounderingnext
as in failing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for floundering
  1. struggling
  2. shuffling
  3. stomping
  4. declining
Verb
  • Ordinary Americans also work for league media arms such as the NFL Network, which last year conducted layoffs, or their partners, including regional sports networks that are struggling to keep pace.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 Jan. 2025
  • California and Stanford ventured to the opposite coast for the first time, both struggling in the Eastern time zone.
    Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
Definition of struggling
Verb
  • But the $12 billion decline in his fortune has more to do with asset shuffling than stock price movement.
    Julie Goldenberg, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
  • James has been shuffling back and forth between the NBA and the G League.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of shuffling
Verb
  • After easily stopping Thanos and Nam-gyu from curb-stomping Ming-gyu at lunch, In-ho earns a lot of people’s respect.
    Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
  • In a similar vein, Malloy’s musical score is almost anonymously eclectic — wistful ballads, stomping pop, a smattering of EDM — but threaded through with enough strains of Russian folk and klezmer to suggest a sense of place.
    Houman Barekat, New York Times, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of stomping
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
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near floundering

floundered

floundering

flounders

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Cite this Entry

“Floundering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/floundering. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on floundering

Nglish: Translation of floundering for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of floundering for Arabic Speakers

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