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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Recent Examples of sputter
On the bedside table, my phone sputtered awake.
—
Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
The Celtics sputtered last weekend in the Marist Invitational, where junior outside hitter Omar Torreblanca suffered an ankle injury.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The Storm’s offense sputtered a bit the rest of the half, but the defense did its part, holding Columbus to a pair of field goals.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
The Heat have sputtered of late with seven losses in the past nine games.
—Matthew Davis, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
The Celtics sputtered last weekend in the Marist Invitational, where junior outside hitter Omar Torreblanca suffered an ankle injury.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The Storm’s offense sputtered a bit the rest of the half, but the defense did its part, holding Columbus to a pair of field goals.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
The Heat have sputtered of late with seven losses in the past nine games.
—Matthew Davis, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputter
Verb
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Predators respond with head shaking, gaping, drooling, and frantic licking.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2026
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Chewing on the bulbs can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea, profuse drooling and burns to the mouth.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Is there a polite way to ask her to address this, short of shouting or splashing?—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
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Biff shouts at him at the show’s excruciating climax) sways between light and dark, between the road and the deadly shoulder, advancing through his last hours on earth as if through the stations of the cross.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hardcore Survivor fans love to discuss and debate the intricacies of the game and their favorite seasons and winners in the same way that sports fans enjoy chattering nonstop about their teams.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Feb. 2026
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This is the shelter’s busiest season, making for the film’s most vibrant, chattering section, and Hélène adapts well to the rhythm and volume of whatever company rolls in, while occasionally retreating to the woods for some respite.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The scent of vinegar fills the set, and a crew member wanders by muttering about dyeing Easter eggs.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
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Then, there’s a dramatic landscape by Jacob van Ruisdael, with gray clouds muttering on high and brighter blues impending in the sky below.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Her successor at American Vogue, Chloe Malle was there too, chatting with New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
21 Apr. 2026
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One bright afternoon, Obama took in a baseball game with then-President Raúl Castro, the leaders of longtime enemy nations chatting behind home plate.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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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Trump says administration is weighing a currency swap with UAE to help bolster finances of Mideast ally rattled by war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
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But then, after weeks of saber rattling, the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.—
Bella Bromberg,
ARTnews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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It’s equipped with a 75Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync technology to eliminate image tearing and stuttering, ensuring even fast action scenes remain seamless.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
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After stuttering through trade rumours last week, Matthew Knies had another noticeable game Saturday night with an assist.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputter. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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