as in shouted
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as in drooled
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly
she was so shocked that, for a moment, all she could do was sputter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sputtered
Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
The few cars that attempted to drive through the flood sputtered and died, bonnet-deep in swirling pondweed.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Ike, the reigning WCC player of the week, sputtered with his shot most of the night and had to score nine points over the final five minutes to keep his streak going.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Proposals to create public options in Maine and New Mexico also sputtered.
—Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez, NPR, 18 Feb. 2026
The team with the oldest players — starring LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard — started hot, beating the younger American stars and the best of the rest from the international pool before the engine sputtered and the wheels fell off with the championship on the line.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
While layoffs remain relatively contained, the engine of job creation has sputtered.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
When the invaders were 200 to 300 yards inland, enemy machine guns sputtered and the air filled with steel.
—Helen I. Bennett, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026
Traditional keyword searching has sputtered as AI and chatbots gain popularity, causing many companies who built entire business models on old school SEO monetization to buckle under.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
Miami cruised into the fourth quarter with a 13-point lead at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia, but sputtered and Stanford took advantage, going into a zone defense and outscoring UM 18-5 in the final stretch to force overtime.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
The few cars that attempted to drive through the flood sputtered and died, bonnet-deep in swirling pondweed.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Ike, the reigning WCC player of the week, sputtered with his shot most of the night and had to score nine points over the final five minutes to keep his streak going.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Proposals to create public options in Maine and New Mexico also sputtered.
—Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez, NPR, 18 Feb. 2026
The team with the oldest players — starring LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard — started hot, beating the younger American stars and the best of the rest from the international pool before the engine sputtered and the wheels fell off with the championship on the line.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
While layoffs remain relatively contained, the engine of job creation has sputtered.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
When the invaders were 200 to 300 yards inland, enemy machine guns sputtered and the air filled with steel.
—Helen I. Bennett, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026
Traditional keyword searching has sputtered as AI and chatbots gain popularity, causing many companies who built entire business models on old school SEO monetization to buckle under.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputtered
Adjective
-
This blend of styles is not only about presenting contrasts—clean versus shouted vocals, melodic versus dissonant riffs, headbanging versus moshing—but also preserving the murky in-between that only elevates the extreme.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Keong says these pillow protectors slide easily over her puffiest pillows, wash up well at the laundromat, and help prevent her new pillows from getting too drooled-on to be presentable for overnight guests.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Our lives and bodies conversed and chattered.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Dec. 2025
-
Clancy then walked in from behind the stage, carrying a bouquet of flowers as the students chattered.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Blackburn is well aware of Weaver’s journey of transformation — which secured him a two-year, $22 million with the Mets over the winter — as the two chatted about it last year.—
Gary Phillips,
Hartford Courant,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Laughter rippled through the 2,000-square-foot space as diners chatted over complimentary rice cookies and steaming cups of Persian chai infused with rose petals.—
Angela Osorio,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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
-
But the other 3%, often muttered by students prospectively examining transfer applications, is distinct.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His wraparound, tight-quarters assist on a Keshad Johnson dunk in the second half breathed fire into the lungs of the home crowd.—
Bryce Miller Columnist,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Nov. 2021
Verb
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Already, the conflict has rattled global markets and left Iran's leadership weakened by hundreds of Israeli and American airstrikes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The earthquake rattled at a depth of just 3 miles, with its epicenter about 1 mile southwest of Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
No photograph could catch the smell drifting from the nearby military barracks and Indian camps; capture the murmured swirl of French, English, Arapaho, and Lakota; or let a viewer feel the colliding anxieties and expectations that hung heavy over negotiations like this.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sputtered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputtered. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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