flounder

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floun|der /fl'aʊndər/ (flounders floundering floundered)
1 [VERB] V, V
If something is floundering, it has many problems and may soon fail completely.
What a pity that his career was left to flounder...
The economy was floundering.
= founder
2 [VERB] V, V around
If you say that someone is floundering, you are criticizing them for not making decisions or for not knowing what to say or do.
Right now, you've got a president who's floundering, trying to find some way to get his campaign jump-started...
I know that you're floundering around, trying to grasp at any straw.
= dither
3 [VERB] V adv/prep, also V
If you flounder in water or mud, you move in an uncontrolled way, trying not to sink.
Three men were floundering about in the water.

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