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Definitions

flounder

[floun-der] / ˈflaʊn dər /
VERB
struggle; be in the dark
Synonyms
STRONGEST
flop stumble wallow
STRONG
blunder bobble flummox fumble grope labor lurch muddle plunge pratfall snafu strive thrash toil toss travail tumble
WEAK
cast about come apart at the seams drop the ball fall down foul up go at backwards go to pieces make a mess of miss one's cue screw up slip up stub one's toe trip up work at
Antonyms
STRONG
idle laze
WEAK
do well succeed

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Or, with no party organisation behind him, he could flounder.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

None seem to take note of this wealth of services as some of them flounder in their own bad habits.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

Without that motivation the project would flounder before it had even begun.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2025

I still rewatch Hasan doing what he does best, and I admire him—because in that chair I’d probably flounder and set our people back a decade.

From Slate • Jul. 29, 2025

A judge came over to take her flounder.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn