spluttered 1 of 2

adjective

as in muttered

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

spluttered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of splutter
1
as in shouted

Related Words
2
as in frothed

Related Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spluttered
  1. muttered
  2. shouted
  3. sputtered
  4. breathed
  5. gasped
  6. spit
  7. whispered
  8. murmured
Adjective
  • Often made by anonymous rappers and producers with a monkish dedication to their craft, this isn’t rap for the live show but for the headphones, music where every muttered word and barely-there snare matters.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026
Definition of muttered
Verb
  • Some shouted out cult classics like Possession (1981), in which Neill provided the ballast that allowed his co-star Isabelle Adjani the chance to dive headfirst into the deep end, or the Hitchcock thriller on a boat Dead Calm (1989).
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2026
  • Thornton, the only starter in double figures, shouted out the bench, which combined for 52 points.
    — Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Definition of shouted
Verb
  • Of course, there’s the concern of how previous overseas talent has fared at UCLA as a roster with five European players in their first year of college basketball sputtered to a 16-17 season in 2023-24.
    — Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 9 July 2026
  • The team eventually sputtered, missing the postseason in each of the past three seasons.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of sputtered
Adjective
  • His wraparound, tight-quarters assist on a Keshad Johnson dunk in the second half breathed fire into the lungs of the home crowd.
    — Bryce Miller Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2021
Definition of breathed
Verb
  • By the time many of these rising talents were accruing debt in graduate writing programs, the dream of a sustainable career in the nonprofit theater had already gasped its last breath.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • The crowd of 39,077 at Citi Field gasped and even applauded some when the replay was shown on the large videoboard in center.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 26 June 2026
Definition of gasped
Verb
  • That’s when a 17-year-old girl spit at an officer when she was asked to leave the area, authorities said.
    — WBFF STAFF, Baltimore Sun, 13 July 2026
  • Lowry, in the meantime, would embark on a two-decade career in a league that spits out frauds on the regular.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
Definition of spit
Adjective
  • For many leaders, the phrase conjures up whispered alliances, opportunistic loyalty, self-interested maneuvering and the slow poisoning of organizational culture.
    — Harrison Monarth, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Definition of whispered
Verb
  • True to form, the Boards of Canada resurrection has murmured to life so quietly that only the most obsessive of code breakers twigged it early on.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Ludwig murmured, the mist outside the window mostly covering the mountain.
    — Kendra Atleework, Longreads, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of murmured
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.

Browse Nearby Words

splutter
spluttered
spluttering
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spluttered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spluttered. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Is it 'used to' or 'use to'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All