1. struggling clumsily or helplessly
Usage: present participle of flounder
2. moving awkwardly through water, mud, or difficult terrain
Usage: present participle of flounder

1. failing to make progress or be successful
Usage: often used to describe businesses, students, or projects

Examples

• The student was floundering in advanced mathematics.
• The startup company has been floundering since losing its major investor.
• She found herself floundering through the deep snow.
• The fish was floundering in the shallow water.
• Without clear instructions, the team was floundering on the project.
• The floundering economy needed immediate government intervention.
• He spent hours floundering through the difficult textbook.