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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Recent Examples of sputter
The offense was sputtering; only Alonso was hitting well.
—
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Not without its very minor, even vaguely Altman-esque hangout-movie pleasures, Fast Company sputters around in second gear for most of its blessedly brief 91 minutes.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
Another plan that would have replaced LAPD officers with unarmed transportation workers on traffic stops sputtered amid debates around jurisdiction and funding.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
As the Knicks ran out of gas and sputtered, Nesmith kept his foot on the pedal.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Not without its very minor, even vaguely Altman-esque hangout-movie pleasures, Fast Company sputters around in second gear for most of its blessedly brief 91 minutes.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
Another plan that would have replaced LAPD officers with unarmed transportation workers on traffic stops sputtered amid debates around jurisdiction and funding.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
As the Knicks ran out of gas and sputtered, Nesmith kept his foot on the pedal.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputter
Verb
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The early symptoms include muscle weakness, cramps, twitching, stiff muscles, speech challenges, trouble swallowing, and drooling.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
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Signs someone has swallowed a button battery include: noisy breathing, coughing, drooling, difficulty swallowing, a hoarse voice, vomiting, chest or abdominal pain, and gagging, coughing or choking with eating or drinking.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
The true gem remains 17-year-old Kobe Bryant, who was selected 13th by the Charlotte Hornets before West acquired the prospect via trade (shout out to Vlade Divac!).—
James Jackson,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
Theater talk is some of the most frivolous talk, and it should be shouted from the rooftops.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
Groups outside were chattering over Peronis and cigarettes.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
11 June 2025
-
Locals chattered over $3 glasses of kir, while the younger set messed about in kayaks or swung from a rope into the cool green river.—
Rachel Howard,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Vic lowers his head to peer through the slot of visibility provided by the muttering dashboard defroster.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
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This is what many people are muttering to themselves after a weekend of protests that ended with chaos in downtown Sunday night.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Verb
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As that rare thing, a young female naturist happy to chat on camera, Saoirse Newhouse has been in demand with the press at the opening ceremony.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
19 June 2025
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There’s something warm and real about friends chatting, sipping wine, maybe helping slice something or sneak a bite.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 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
-
The incident shook windows and rattled dishes, according to local media reports.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
19 June 2025
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With his country having killed some of Iran’s top military commanders and rattled its leadership, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his government’s aerial assault on Iran could trigger the collapse of the regime, opening the door to a popular uprising.—
Dan De Luce,
NBC news,
18 June 2025
Verb
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South Korea’s economy has stuttered in recent months, with rising costs of living and lower consumption.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
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First, the hard cut: Samuel in a medium shot, shirtless, standing alone in the frame, as those stuttering first notes and thumping synth line drop in.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputter. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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