sputter

verb

ˈspə-tər How to pronounce sputter (audio)
Definition of sputternext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sputter As the pentobarbital took effect, Ramey took a deep breath, sputtered and began snoring. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026 But the Hurricanes’ offense sputtered through the second half, allowing the Demon Deacons to stay in the game. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026 That will be especially true for new offensive coordinator Davis Webb after the Broncos’ offense sputtered in ways big and small Monday night. — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Miami’s offense, which lacks speed in the final third and relies more on possession and short passes, has also sputtered at times when opponents clog the passing lanes to Messi. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sputter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputter
  1. drool
  2. shout
  3. chatter
  4. mutter
  5. chat
  6. gibber
  7. rattle
  8. stutter
Verb
  • All three judges are basically drooling over how much pure quickstep content is in this routine despite some framework issues and the mistake at the end.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Toward the end of the film, that kid is grown up and stuck in an incestuous relationship with his mother, while a nearly incapacitated Dau sits drooling nearby.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of drool
Verb
  • The engines were so loud the commandos would have had to shout to be heard.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Use ‘we’ then ‘I’ Start by shouting out your colleagues, then mention your specific actions.
    — Melody Wilding, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of shout
Verb
  • Some raved about the experience to those in line while others chattered among themselves about their thoughts.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • As the courtroom cleared, a jumble of spectators and journalists chattered about the whiplash.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of chatter
Verb
  • Heti stared at the drawing in front of her and muttered whatever under her breath.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The tourists mutter in disbelief before the driver of the bus heads down the street to the next haunted stop.
    — Sonjirose Chin, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of mutter
Verb
  • He was seen last season trying to chat with a teammate on the sideline during the national anthem.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Browsing Twitch live streams on a Sunday afternoon this past summer might include seeing e-gamers setting a world-record speed run or online celebrities chatting with fans.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of chat
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of gibber
Verb
  • Rebecca Noble/Reuters Hiring grew much less than expected in September as a monthslong surge of inflation weighed on shoppers and rattled bond markets, according to the federal government's monthly jobs report.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI said the notifications didn’t necessarily mean systems were compromised -- the activity may have been more like rattling a locked door than breaking it down.
    — Miriam Waldvogel, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of rattle
Verb
  • Set beneath a gorgeous sun at what may either be dawn or dusk, this sea occasionally stutters and reverses before continuing to roll all over again.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Some are painted with a stuttering distortion, like a computer image that’s failed to fully download.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of stutter

Browse Nearby Words

sputa
sputter
sputtered
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Cite this Entry

“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputter. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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