founder
to fail or collapse, especially after an initial show of success
Word origin: From Old French fondrer, to sink to the bottom, from Latin fundus, bottom.
Founder in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing founder in a sentence.
The merger talks foundered over an irreconcilable dispute about leadership.
The peace talks foundered when neither delegation would concede the disputed border region.
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Verbal · Sentence Equivalence
The startup's early growth, impressive as it looked on paper, rested on a blank foundation, for a single lost contract was enough to push the firm to the brink of collapse.
Using “founder” well
As a verb, founder means to fail or collapse, originally said of a ship filling with water and sinking. It is easily confused with flounder, which means to struggle clumsily; a plan that founders has failed outright, while one that flounders is merely floundering.
More GRE words starting with F
to make up something false in order to deceive
a deliberately false statement or invented account intended to mislead
a person who invents elaborate or untruthful stories
treating serious matters with inappropriate or flippant humor
achieved too easily and therefore superficial or shallow
to make an action or process easier or more achievable
a small, organized group within a larger one, especially one that is in opposition
inclined to form rival groups and provoke internal dissent
Questions about “founder”
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