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
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
While Hernández found contact on each of his at-bats, the rest of the team sputtered through six innings.
—Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
After scoring the first 15 points of the game, San Antonio sputtered, eventually falling 123-108.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Their side hustle is sputtering toward some sort of finish line, the Saudi’s Public Investment Fund having pulled the cashflow that made LIV so appealing in the first place.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
While Hernández found contact on each of his at-bats, the rest of the team sputtered through six innings.
—Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
After scoring the first 15 points of the game, San Antonio sputtered, eventually falling 123-108.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 26 May 2026
Their side hustle is sputtering toward some sort of finish line, the Saudi’s Public Investment Fund having pulled the cashflow that made LIV so appealing in the first place.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputter
Verb
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This pitching matchup will have the purists drooling.—
Darren Cooper,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Familiarize yourself with common signs of heat intolerance, such as excessive panting, drooling, vomiting, weakness or blueish gums.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The group was met by a much smaller contingent of mostly men who appeared to make Nazi salutes and shouted anti-Muslim chants.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
-
One photo in the post showed Swift with her arm around Hargitay, 62, as other Knicks fans surrounded them, while a second snap captured them both shouting and cheering.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Families line up down the block to order ice cream at Salt & Straw, while students chatter over their laptops at Coupa Cafe.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
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As Paula finally reaches Detective Gonzalez and excitedly chatters about her wire transfer ruse, the wry officer isn’t amused.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Come dinnertime, be sure to chat with the restaurant's sommelier for a stellar wine to pair with your meal.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
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Inside the motel, Paula chats with Sky.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
10 June 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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The American crashed two aces to make it 40-15, before rattling another serve over the net that her opponent could only throw a racket at.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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Flavia Pupo, a manager at a hotel in Pinar del Río, told AP that the shaking rattled the building and frightened people in the area.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The real estate market, and all the jobs wound up in it, would stutter.—
The Conversation,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
-
Still, the many other actors involved—Israel, Hezbollah and others—means that there is a good chance that the deal will prove fragile, stuttering and maybe even falling apart.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputter. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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