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
Relevance
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
While secession sputtered, the Valley’s reactionary energy led to structural reforms at City Hall.
—
Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 8 June 2026
The Royals’ offense has sputtered this year, scoring just 221 runs, the fewest in the majors.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
But for ordinary Americans, for those of us without fame, wealth, or connections, the machinery of justice often sputters.
—Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 28 May 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
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 8 June 2026
The Royals’ offense has sputtered this year, scoring just 221 runs, the fewest in the majors.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
But for ordinary Americans, for those of us without fame, wealth, or connections, the machinery of justice often sputters.
—Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 28 May 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
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputter
Verb
-
For Valentine's Day 2026, the retailer released a confetti glass icon candle that shoppers drooled over.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 June 2026
-
Fighter Josh Hokit drooled at the weigh-in in front of the Lincoln Memorial.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Her longtime bestie Abigail Anderson, whom Swift shouted out in her 2008 album Fearless, tied the knot for the first time in September 2017.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
20 June 2026
-
He was shouted out by multiple fighters following victories.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
The fights were slightly delayed because of inclement weather, and so we were treated, first, to a quartet of chattering analysts wearing natty, snug suits.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
Vuvuzelas honked like a chorus of drunk geese, and spectators chattered excitedly.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
NPR,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
In the shadows of the long-hut, the elders muttered among themselves—of portents and crops and weather and the storage of grain.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
An edgy confrontation The Rangers were still seething as Keenan attempted to address the team following a demoralizing 3-1 loss, with a few snapping back or muttering under their breath.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
If a team chat gets heated, pause to name your goal and request a clear next step.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2026
-
Okay, but who showed Danielle the group chat?—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
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
Verb
-
The crackdown on more than 20 nursing schools in South Florida rattled the healthcare industry both here and across the country as federal agents alerted state licensing boards about the nurses who illicitly obtained their credentials.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
-
Still, the incident rattled analysts in the White House and the Pentagon.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Bill stutters an affirmative response that captures every man who has held out irrational hope that a woman will return to him.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
-
The real estate market, and all the jobs wound up in it, would stutter.—
The Conversation,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputter. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
