SPUTTER Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

sputter

verb

ˈspə-tər

Definition of sputter

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

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 His Toronto Maple Leafs, on the heels of three straight first-round playoff exits, were sputtering in November with a 9-10-4 record. — Janson Duench, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 On their way to shore, the tender begins to sputter and smoke. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026 Yet domestic investments, including in the Mountain Pass mine in California, continued to sputter because of scarce profits, price volatility, and technological challenges. — Gloria Xiong, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Wankel turned a valve, and billion-year-old brine sputtered out of one of the pipes. — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sputter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputter

Verb

Toward the end of the film, that kid is grown up and stuck in an incestuous relationship with his mother, while a nearly incapacitated Dau sits drooling nearby.

— Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Beyond the seating area is the hotel shop with a vibrant range of pottery to drool over.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of drool

Verb

O’Kane shouts when Tom Brokaw announces that one of the men suspected of plotting the attack has been detained.

— Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities, shouts slogans during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa on September 10, 2026.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of shout

Verb

The tourists mutter in disbelief before the driver of the bus heads down the street to the next haunted stop.

— Sonjirose Chin, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
When John finally reunites with Hal (who charges the ring against the lantern while quickly muttering his oath), the frustrated protégé immediately confronts his teacher with all the suspicions he was meant to keep secret.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of mutter

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But when the disheveled, withdrawn ex-friend shows up in the locker room gibbering about an evil spirit, Sam is mortified, impulsively knocking to the ground the grungy-looking Mason jar that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

Definition of gibber

Verb

First, there was the sight of Kylian Mbappe rattling in Madrid’s opening goal to move alongside Raul Gonzalez as the joint fifth all-time scorer in Champions League history.

— Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Morgan’s resolute denials pleased his family and friends, but in fact he was deeply rattled.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of rattle

Verb

As Fernandes undertook his trademark run-up, Tielemans mirrored him exactly, sidestepping and stuttering in synchronisation.

— Cerys Jones, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Its fast 180-hertz refresh rate, paired with a 1ms response time, keeps on-screen action razor-sharp, and AMD FreeSync technology eliminates tearing and stuttering.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of stutter

Browse Nearby Words

sputa

sputter

sputtered

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“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputter. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sputter

verb

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