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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of sputter
Then, a nurse sputters up on a motorbike, a cooler containing mpox vaccine slung over his shoulder.
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Byjon Cohen, science.org, 9 Dec. 2024
Harris-Smith sputtered to start his sophomore campaign.
—Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 2 Dec. 2024
The passing offense sputtered uncharacteristically.
—Joe Buscaglia, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
Herbert threw just his third interception of the season in the first half as the Chargers’ offense – outside of Cameron Dicker, the kicker – sputtered and stalled.
—Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sputter 
Byjon Cohen, science.org, 9 Dec. 2024
Harris-Smith sputtered to start his sophomore campaign.
—Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 2 Dec. 2024
The passing offense sputtered uncharacteristically.
—Joe Buscaglia, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
Herbert threw just his third interception of the season in the first half as the Chargers’ offense – outside of Cameron Dicker, the kicker – sputtered and stalled.
—Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 19 Dec. 2024
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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At the funeral, her husband and Trump were seated next to each other and chatted and laughed together despite the history of political animosity between them.John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
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Barack Obama attended the funeral and sat next to Trump, where a clip of the two smiling and chatting away quickly became viral on social media.Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 14 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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President-elect Trump’s talk of territorial expansion has rattled world leaders at an already precarious time in global politics.Julia Mueller, The Hill, 12 Jan. 2025
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About 10 minutes in, students and staff were rattled by yet another blaring sound: the fire alarm.Lynne Peeples, TIME, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The song refracts like a prism at high noon, filled with stuttering blips that shapeshift at each turn.Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 5 Dec. 2024
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Narratively, Oz strangling his stuttering teenage sidekick and getaway driver Vic (Rhenzy Feliz) was meant to bleed himself of any potential weakness (i.e. his love for the kid).EW.com, EW.com, 4 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near sputter
Cite this Entry
“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputter. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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