YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

flounder

Verb

IPA /ˈflaʊndə(r)/

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Meaning in plain English

To struggle to decide what to do or say because you are confused or unprepared.

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Pronunciation

flounder/ˈflaʊndə(r)/

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A team loses its plan and direction
Nobody knows what to do next
Work becomes confused and difficult

To flounder is to struggle to cope or make progress without clear direction.

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Examples in context

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Without the recipe, I floundered halfway through making the cake.
The team began to flounder when its leader left without a handover.

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The team began to ________ when its leader left without a handover.

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flounder — To struggle to decide what to do or say because you are confused or unprepared.

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To struggle to decide what to do or say because you are confused or unprepared.

Compare: Without the recipe, I floundered halfway through making the cake.

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Did you know?

Flounder can also describe struggling to move through water, mud or snow.

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