sputtered 1 of 2

sputtered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of sputter

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 sputtered
Verb
Then in the Super Bowl while New England's offense sputtered, Gonzalez did his best to keep the team in the game with several key pass breakups. Matt Schooley, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 But back home in the 305, Brady and Earle were never spotted together again, at least in public, and talk of their possible budding situationship sputtered. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026 In the title game against Clemson, new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian’s offense sputtered at times. John Talty, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026 The small robot sputtered around in a tiny, shallow creek, whereas the medium one was sent out in a Swiss stream. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 27 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 Oil prices fell Monday even as diplomatic efforts to end the US-Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz sputtered. Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 3 Aug. 2026 The redshirt junior signal caller sputtered to start the first half of 2025, but by November, Manning was one of the best quarterbacks in the country and should carry that over into this year. Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026 Last season was a different situation, as the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces sputtered for the first two-thirds of the regular season before ending it on a 16-game winning streak. Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 20 July 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
  • Who had broken a wrist on the back-yard flagstones, drooled cherry medicine down her sleeping face on the car ride back from the hospital.
    Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Adjective
  • Often made by anonymous rappers and producers with a monkish dedication to their craft, this isn’t rap for the live show but for the headphones, music where every muttered word and barely-there snare matters.
    Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Around the family, people shared takeout dinners, swung on hammocks and chattered.
    Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
  • The youthful musicians chattered away like creatures of the Transylvanian night.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
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
  • At one of the first promotional events, Bullock briefly chatted about her time on the Miss Congeniality franchise.
    Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Newsom, who chatted with lawmakers at the Capitol on Monday in what will be his last regular legislative session as governor, praised Lowenthal and the bill.
    Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • For many leaders, the phrase conjures up whispered alliances, opportunistic loyalty, self-interested maneuvering and the slow poisoning of organizational culture.
    Harrison Monarth, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • Investors have been rattled by the resurgence of inflationary pressures, particularly as a fresh wave of conflict in the Middle East drives oil prices higher.
    Jenni Reid, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • And the president's new plan to import ground beef has rattled many ranchers.
    Gaby Vinick, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sputtered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputtered. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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