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
If the Seattle running game once again sputters, moving the ball through the air could (obviously) be a struggle against Stingley and Co.
—
Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
The Patriots got out to a hot start running the ball but sputtered out in the red zone on their ensuing drive.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
The Niners’ defense is reeling, and the offense is sputtering.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2025
Democrats' ballyhooed and famously expensive bid to unseat her in 2020 sputtered to an 8-point defeat in a state that President Joe Biden carried by 9 points.
—NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
The Patriots got out to a hot start running the ball but sputtered out in the red zone on their ensuing drive.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
The Niners’ defense is reeling, and the offense is sputtering.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 18 Oct. 2025
Democrats' ballyhooed and famously expensive bid to unseat her in 2020 sputtered to an 8-point defeat in a state that President Joe Biden carried by 9 points.
—NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputter
Verb
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CWD can take months to years for symptoms to appear, which could include drastic weight loss, stumbling or lack of coordination, drooling and listlessness.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
30 Oct. 2025
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Naturally, the post attracted over 16,000 comments of women drooling over him.—
Essence,
Essence,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Bearing rugelach, Brooks arrived late, shouted everyone down, and then—infuriatingly—made their work better.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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The video shows immigration agents arresting a man later identified as Dennis Quiñonez, as people shout that there is a child in the back of the car.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For the chattering women, by contrast, the tool of power is writing; and for people who were almost certainly illiterate, the writing takes on almost magical characteristics.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
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Weiss, the entrepreneurial and opinionated co-founder of The Free Press website, is an irresistible story to the media chattering classes.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As for one consistent complaint heard muttered amid bleary-eyed guests of the former Standard, Schrager confirms the appropriate adjustments have been made.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
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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
Verb
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In a plush, dimly lit Hollywood club on a recent Wednesday afternoon, GIRLSET’s members — Kendall, Lexi, Camila and Savanna — are bubbly and noticeably excited to chat about their latest era.—
Brooke Morrison,
Billboard,
11 Nov. 2025
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On Monday night, Dumont was seen sitting and chatting courtside at Dallas’ American Airlines Center with a teenager wearing Dončić’s gold Los Angeles Lakers jersey.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 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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Everyone notes his film pedigree, some his politics, although Mamdani’s democratic socialist agenda rattled Wall Street and other higher-end precincts as his plans rely on increasing taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
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Lauren Petracca | Bloomberg | Getty Images A wave of layoffs is rattling corporate America.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The forward has scored 43 per cent of their goals this season, propping up their stuttering attack.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Lions fall to 4-2 with the defeat while the Chiefs continue to correct their stuttering start to the year by improving to 3-3.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputter. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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