as in to drool
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly
she was so shocked that, for a moment, all she could do was sputter
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sputter
Carter campaigns in Reagan country Carter faced long odds in 1980.
Democrats were split (the Carter-Kennedy race went to the convention), Iran held American hostages and the economy was sputtering.
—
Bill Glauber, Journal Sentinel, 29 Dec. 2024
Xerox, a household name globally, has seen its revenue shrink for five straight quarters as demand for printers and related equipment sputtered in the digital age.
—Jaspreet Singh, The Courier-Journal, 23 Dec. 2024
And since he was dealt to the Warriors, Brooklyn’s once fun-to-watch offense has sputtered, going from an offensive rating of 113.1 (22nd) to 104.5 (25th).
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2025
With an offense reduced to occasional bombs from Russell Wilson, the Steelers sputtered down the stretch, losing their last four games while failing to score more than 17 points in any of those contests.
—Jordan Brenner, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sputter 
Bill Glauber, Journal Sentinel, 29 Dec. 2024
Xerox, a household name globally, has seen its revenue shrink for five straight quarters as demand for printers and related equipment sputtered in the digital age.
—Jaspreet Singh, The Courier-Journal, 23 Dec. 2024
And since he was dealt to the Warriors, Brooklyn’s once fun-to-watch offense has sputtered, going from an offensive rating of 113.1 (22nd) to 104.5 (25th).
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2025
With an offense reduced to occasional bombs from Russell Wilson, the Steelers sputtered down the stretch, losing their last four games while failing to score more than 17 points in any of those contests.
—Jordan Brenner, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sputter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputter
Verb
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In babies and toddlers, the first signs, such as drooling and scratching, may appear mild.—
Laura Dorwart,
Verywell Health,
7 Jan. 2025
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Public health officials are urging residents who may have fed their pets Monarch raw products or other raw meat or dairy products, and who may have noticed their pet acting peculiar — lethargic, loss of motor control, drooling, etc. — to immediately contact their veterinarian.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The hearing was briefly stopped several times by protesters with at least one shouting about the deadly fires in Los Angeles and the role fossil fuels play in global warming.—
Timothy Gardner,
USA TODAY,
16 Jan. 2025
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Authentic marketing isn’t about shouting the loudest but speaking the clearest.—
Carlo Tortora Brayda,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Dozens of schoolmates chattered happily under the pines, kicking a soccer ball on sun-streaked grass, climbing a play structure and scarfing down pizza.—
Teresa Watanabe,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2025
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In addition, the award-winning and emerging writers were asked to include three of eight items in each story: a shovel, the name Sandi, an undertaker, a Minnesota Twins baseball cap, chattering teeth, whistling, smoke and a mousetrap.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
24 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The soldiers muttered encouragement; their horses nickered.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA TODAY,
6 Jan. 2025
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Philippe Myers knelt on the side of Canada’s busiest highway and muttered a few curse words about his luck.—
Joshua Kloke,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Other rewards can be chatting with a friend while folding laundry or going to a unique grocery store to make shopping more enticing, experts said.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN,
27 Jan. 2025
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In the clip, Lamar paces around a greyscale football field, idly chatting on the phone with a friend.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But when the disheveled, withdrawn ex-friend shows up in the locker room gibbering about an evil spirit, Sam is mortified, impulsively knocking to the ground the grungy-looking Mason jar that Tamira has been carrying around.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
18 Sep. 2023
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For a while, police interest bent toward a Phud who had been warned he might be eliminated from the program, who had seemed almost exultant about the fire and gibbered gleefully about the media spotlight.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2018
Verb
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And if your dishwasher rattles even on an empty load, this does indicate mechanical problems.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Jan. 2025
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But when the topic turned to how his election could rattle the Hall’s Richter scale once his plaque hangs in that gallery in July, Suzuki couldn’t wrap his mind around that thought.—
Jayson Stark,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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First, the hard cut: Samuel in a medium shot, shirtless, standing alone in the frame, as those stuttering first notes and thumping synth line drop in.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
25 Dec. 2024
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In the weeks since the truce was reached, life has begun to stutter back to normal in Tyre, where tens of thousands of residents have returned to the coastal city.—
Euan Ward,
New York Times,
25 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near sputter
Cite this Entry
“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputter. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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