spluttering

present participle of splutter

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spluttering
Verb
  • Sometimes poetry leaves the cinema behind, gasping for breath.
    David Denby, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
  • The late-night order halts what would have been the nation’s ninth nitrogen execution, a rare reprieve in a state where recent nitrogen deaths involved shaking, gasping and prolonged suffering.
    Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • First, play was allowed to restart, which was previously a hard stop on any VAR intervention — except violent conduct and spitting at someone.
    Ben Burrows, New York Times, 13 June 2026
  • That's when LaPalme hit her in the face to prevent her from spitting again, a recording from the deputy's patrol camera showed.
    CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • As Pillay speaks, he is interrupted by random beeps and Canada’s players shouting either in frustration or excitement nearby.
    Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 17 June 2026
  • There’s been such an outpouring of people online, from film critics to awards pundits, shouting out your performance.
    Matt Minton, Variety, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Its foaming properties pull dust off your wheels and dissolve it, requiring a simple rinse afterward.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026
  • Looking out at an endless expanse of ocean blue while the foaming tide rolls in is enough to put anyone in a vacation state of mind.
    Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 June 2026
Verb
  • The stairs bear witness to feet, flitting up and down, a whispering flood of life that has carried us forth to this day.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 June 2026
  • Republicans, meanwhile, are whispering that Democrats' fears of unused Platner oppo are well-founded.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • When Vegas was sputtering in late March, with the 19th-best record in the NHL, the fact that its core was signed long-term with little cap space to maneuver could’ve been easily viewed as a detriment.
    Jesse Granger, New York Times, 15 June 2026
  • In the end, despite the early promise and intrigue, The Boroughs is just another bland, unsatisfying Netflix Original series limping and sputtering to its foregone conclusion.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • Alejo listens carefully, occasionally offering a tissue or murmuring consolations.
    Megan Greenwell, Bloomberg, 9 June 2026
  • All were filled with Chenier’s murmuring accordion, the rustle of a washboard player and slinky grooves.
    Kevin McKeough, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2026
Verb
  • His drawling, winking charm is front and center, and his attraction to our heroine feels both genuine and even quite protective, but his violent streak is so blasé as to be unnerving.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 7 June 2026
  • Daniel Craig stars as Benoit Blanc, a Southern-drawling Hercule Poirot-style private detective who helps a wealthy family uncover the truth behind the death of their beloved patriarch (Christopher Plummer).
    Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
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

Cite this Entry

“Spluttering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spluttering. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

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