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
There’s no question that the move will stimulate development of the land along I-90, which after a period of rapid late-20th century growth has sputtered in the 21st.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
Each impact sputters more dust and ice grains into space, and each large impact sends a shower of fragments spinning away.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 May 2025
The talks will likely sputter ahead, see the Kremlin present a series of maximalist demands, and Ukraine angrily demand a ceasefire that Russia continually rejects.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
After a gritty 99-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals at Target Center, the Warriors’ attack sputtered in a 117-93 loss on Thursday.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
Each impact sputters more dust and ice grains into space, and each large impact sends a shower of fragments spinning away.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 May 2025
The talks will likely sputter ahead, see the Kremlin present a series of maximalist demands, and Ukraine angrily demand a ceasefire that Russia continually rejects.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
After a gritty 99-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals at Target Center, the Warriors’ attack sputtered in a 117-93 loss on Thursday.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputter
Verb
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Check out Sussman’s website to drool over his selection and call ahead to see if your favorites are available.—
Jeanette Marantos,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
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There’s nothing wrong with ogling a juicy rack of ribs or drooling over a hunk of brisket slowly smoking over hot coals.—
Katie Rife,
EW.com,
11 May 2025
Verb
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Shoppers drag pushcarts through dozens of fruit and vegetable stalls as vendors shout prices on loop, in a rhythm.—
Lily Radziemski,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
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Passengers allegedly held onto the ride’s safety bars and shouted for help as many reported feeling dizzy, dehydrated, and increasingly panicked as the minutes turned into hours.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
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That’s all Joe can think about, even while Henry’s chattering about his sessions with therapist George, and especially while Kate’s giving him the cold shoulder.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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The chattering motion involved the lower beak snapping about 12 times per second.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Here, every exposition-heavy line is muttered with the conviction of someone reciting the terms and conditions of an iPhone update.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
27 May 2025
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He is made, late in the show, to feign a seizure in a moment that doesn’t land, and the blocking of his final scene, in which the actor mutters to the ceiling while lying on his back, similarly thuds.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Fried, meanwhile, adjusted his slider grip a few weeks ago after chatting with Rodón.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
8 June 2025
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Gartner predicts that generative AI capabilities, from voice to chat, will be present in 75% of new contact centers by 2028.—
Roger Dooley,
Forbes.com,
6 June 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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At night, passing juggernauts rattle the structure, shaking them from their slumber.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
5 June 2025
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While Trump allies see the president’s reversals as a sign of necessary flexibility and part of a grand plan, the TACO acronym suggests Trump gets rattled at the first sign of trouble.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Vestiges of her classical training—Twigs cannot abandon the harp—are forced to make dissonance with manic handclaps and stuttering vocal tuning.—
Doreen St. Félix,
The New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2025
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Despite trailing heavily in the first-round vote, Dan’s campaign has picked up momentum in recent days while his rival’s has stuttered.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputter. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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