floundered

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.

Having been branded the next Bernstein, MTT floundered.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

While England have often floundered on tours of Asia, Root has frequently flowered.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

Efforts to deal with fiscal policy, entitlements and other critical issues have floundered.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 30, 2025

Merck shares have floundered this year, as the company speeds like a whistling locomotive toward the expiration of the patents protecting its megablockbuster cancer immunotherapy Keytruda.

From Barron's • Oct. 29, 2025

“Like a play, you know,” Kit floundered, confused by the increasing horror on both their faces.

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare