sputtered; sputtering; sputters
1
: to spit or squirt from the mouth with explosive sounds
2
: to utter hastily or explosively in confusion or excitement
"that's ridiculous!" she sputtered
3
: to dislodge (atoms) from the surface of a material by collision with high energy particles
also
: to deposit (a metallic film) by such a process
1
: to spit or squirt particles of food or saliva noisily from the mouth
2
: to speak explosively or confusedly in anger or excitement
3
: to make explosive popping sounds
sputterer
noun
1
: confused and excited speech or discussion
2
: the act or sound of sputtering
Examples of sputter in a Sentence
Verb
The motor sputtered and died.
He was sputtering with rage.
She sputtered an angry protest.
“You, you have to be kidding!” he sputtered.
Recent Examples on the Web
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Musk’s retreat from Washington comes after his electric vehicle company Tesla sputtered amid economic turmoil — caused by a mixture of his own declining favorability and some shareholders reportedly losing confidence in his leadership.
—William Turton, ProPublica, 10 June 2025
Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 2 June 2025
So far, his transformative rebalancing of international trade sputters, though long-term, the benefits of onshoring can be truly historic.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
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.
Verb
The issue is that the offense will sputter again if the offensive line is not in top shape.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Musk’s retreat from Washington comes after his electric vehicle company Tesla sputtered amid economic turmoil — caused by a mixture of his own declining favorability and some shareholders reportedly losing confidence in his leadership.
—William Turton, ProPublica, 10 June 2025
Noun
Even as negotiations sputter, the caliber of attacks launched by both Russia and Ukraine has intensified.
—Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 2 June 2025
So far, his transformative rebalancing of international trade sputters, though long-term, the benefits of onshoring can be truly historic.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Cite this Entry
“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sputter. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sputter
1 of 2 verb
sput·ter
ˈspət-ər 
1
: to spit or squirt pieces of food or saliva noisily from the mouth
2
: to speak or utter hastily or explosively in confusion or excitement
sputtered out protests
3
: to make explosive popping sounds
the motor sputtered and died
sputterer
noun
-ər-ər
sputter
2 of 2 noun
: the act or sound of sputtering
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share