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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sputter
Economic growth has sputtered for more than five years, and its world-famous manufacturing sector is in deep trouble.
—
Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
A week earlier, the Orediggers fell behind 17-0 to Chadron State and eventually lost 34-28 after their comeback bid sputtered in the fourth quarter.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
But the extent to which its defense is sputtering may be a surprise.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
As subduction zones burned through the carbon-rich crust at the edges of the Pangaea supercontinent, any rock weathering that might have buried carbon dioxide now sputtered in the vast interior.
—Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
A week earlier, the Orediggers fell behind 17-0 to Chadron State and eventually lost 34-28 after their comeback bid sputtered in the fourth quarter.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
But the extent to which its defense is sputtering may be a surprise.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
As subduction zones burned through the carbon-rich crust at the edges of the Pangaea supercontinent, any rock weathering that might have buried carbon dioxide now sputtered in the vast interior.
—Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputter
Verb
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Flores will drool across the Irish Sea this week at the thought of welcoming a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
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Keong says these pillow protectors slide easily over her puffiest pillows, wash up well at the laundromat, and help prevent her new pillows from getting too drooled-on to be presentable for overnight guests.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hasselbeck shouted in response, while the episode was edited to have her and O’Donnell on the screen side-by-side.—
Katherine Schaffstall,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Oct. 2025
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The away supporters at Molineux did not have much else to shout about until the Dutch central defender’s 86th-minute header rescued a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers, who remain winless at the foot of the table.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Diners chattered away and ate at the restaurant while wedding guests gathered on the dance floor.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
22 Sep. 2025
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The data also added to chatter about whether a jumbo, half-percentage-point cut could be on the table in September — a conversation Jim Cramer feels is justified.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the other 3%, often muttered by students prospectively examining transfer applications, is distinct.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
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Your dad mutters for head movement, for cage cutting, for not playing off the back and creating distance.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Users can now discover content dynamically while chatting, creating an experience that is interactive, context-aware, and tailored to their preferences.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
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Contestants form bonds and make decisions about compatibility while chatting through a wall, eventually getting engaged before meeting face-to-face for the first time.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Scott Wartman For years, the windows of homes along the Mill Creek in Cincinnati would occasionally rattle with the sound of explosions.—
Scott Wartman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Oct. 2025
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Still, the sight of her phone slipping from 15% to 8% left her rattled.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As Mathias Jensen’s 95th-minute strike clattered into the net, at once extinguishing Manchester United’s stuttering attempt to come back from two early goals down at Brentford on Saturday lunchtime, a lot of attention turned to the away dugout.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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This is stuttering, crashing and other issues, even on high-end hardware way above recommended specs, which is baffling some.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputter. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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