puttered; puttering; putters
Synonyms of putter
Examples of putter in a Sentence
Verb
the motorboat puttered across the lake
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Harris, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
The 30-year-old Stanford alum is one of the better putters on tour, but his approach play has done the heavy lifting to put him in prime position here.
—Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
Environmentalists are now raising alarm bells that the program is puttering out, which not only slows down progress with smog but also keeps the country more dependent on volatile energy imports at a time of growing geopolitical risk.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for putter
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
While Rai is known for being among the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour, he's also made a habit of being an incredibly streaky putter.
—Mark Harris, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
The 30-year-old Stanford alum is one of the better putters on tour, but his approach play has done the heavy lifting to put him in prime position here.
—Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Verb
Growing up in State College, Pennsylvania, Yang spent countless hours playing catch and puttering in the garden with his grandfather, a chemical engineer and the family patriarch.
—Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
Environmentalists are now raising alarm bells that the program is puttering out, which not only slows down progress with smog but also keeps the country more dependent on volatile energy imports at a time of growing geopolitical risk.
—ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for putter
Cite this Entry
“Putter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/putter. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
putter
1 of 3 noun
put·ter
ˈpu̇t-ər 
: one that puts
putter
2 of 3 noun
putt·er
ˈpət-ər
1
: a golf club used in putting
2
: a person who putts
Etymology
Noun
from put and -er (noun suffix)
Noun
from putt and -er (noun suffix)
Verb
an altered form of earlier potter "to move about idly without aim or purpose"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
