flounder

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floun·der1 / ˈfloundər/ • v. [intr.] struggle or stagger helplessly or clumsily in water or mud: he was floundering about in the shallow offshore waters. ∎ fig. struggle mentally; show or feel great confusion: she floundered, not knowing quite what to say. ∎ fig. be in serious difficulty: many firms are floundering.DERIVATIVES: floun·der·er n.floun·der2 • n. a small flatfish (families Pleuronectidae and Bothidae) that typically occurs in shallow coastal water. ∎  (flounders) a collective term for flatfishes other than soles. See flatfish.

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