flounder
verb (used without object)
to struggle with stumbling or plunging movements (usually followed by about, along, on, through, etc.).
was floundering
-
past progressiveof flounder.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
A small-cap biotechnology stock was floundering Monday after flaws in a trial design rendered survival data for a groundbreaking cancer drug statistically insignificant.
From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026
By 2017, one of its early projects, called Universe, which aimed to train AI agents to play games and use computers like humans, was floundering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026
When Robert Duvall was floundering around in college, his father, a career Navy man who retired with the rank of rear admiral, told him to shape up — and start acting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2026
The appointment was seen as a daring gamble by Brown, whose government was floundering in the face of the biggest economic crisis in a generation.
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026
Meir Katz, a colossus, wore a child’s pants, and Stern, a skinny little fellow, was floundering in a huge jacket.
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
