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 talks will likely sputter ahead, see the Kremlin present a series of maximalist demands, and Ukraine angrily demand a ceasefire that Russia continually rejects.
—
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
After a gritty 99-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals at Target Center, the Warriors’ attack sputtered in a 117-93 loss on Thursday.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 May 2025
And now there’s a public referendum if Riley, at 80, can retool a roster that sputtered through a tough year because, again, their best player quit on them?
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2025
The batter will sputter and bubble—use the handle to quickly swirl the pan and distribute the batter across the entire surface.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
After a gritty 99-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals at Target Center, the Warriors’ attack sputtered in a 117-93 loss on Thursday.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 May 2025
And now there’s a public referendum if Riley, at 80, can retool a roster that sputtered through a tough year because, again, their best player quit on them?
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2025
The batter will sputter and bubble—use the handle to quickly swirl the pan and distribute the batter across the entire surface.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputter
Verb
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There’s nothing wrong with ogling a juicy rack of ribs or drooling over a hunk of brisket slowly smoking over hot coals.—
Katie Rife,
EW.com,
11 May 2025
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In the painting Meaningless, 2003, for example, the words meaningless, senseless, and irrelevant eventually give way to blather, blabber, babble, then to drivel and drool, and, finally, to blah-blah-blah.—
Jeffrey Weiss,
Artforum,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Shoppers drag pushcarts through dozens of fruit and vegetable stalls as vendors shout prices on loop, in a rhythm.—
Lily Radziemski,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
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Passengers allegedly held onto the ride’s safety bars and shouted for help as many reported feeling dizzy, dehydrated, and increasingly panicked as the minutes turned into hours.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
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That’s all Joe can think about, even while Henry’s chattering about his sessions with therapist George, and especially while Kate’s giving him the cold shoulder.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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The chattering motion involved the lower beak snapping about 12 times per second.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
Verb
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He is made, late in the show, to feign a seizure in a moment that doesn’t land, and the blocking of his final scene, in which the actor mutters to the ceiling while lying on his back, similarly thuds.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2025
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Victoria barely muttered a word to Kate, who approached the Ratliffs during a meal, making the exchange extra awkward.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Arden had been chatting with his husband, actor Andy Mientus, about the Tony-winning musical by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater spun from Wedekind’s drama.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
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Hurley, 59, was then captured posing for pictures at the event and the couple were seen chatting outside.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
People.com,
27 May 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
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The booms rattle windows, frighten pets, and have raised concerns about threats to the structural integrity of private homes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 May 2025
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The chill in investor confidence spread to the stock market, but several announcements from Trump about tariffs rattled stocks deeper.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Vestiges of her classical training—Twigs cannot abandon the harp—are forced to make dissonance with manic handclaps and stuttering vocal tuning.—
Doreen St. Félix,
The New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2025
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Despite trailing heavily in the first-round vote, Dan’s campaign has picked up momentum in recent days while his rival’s has stuttered.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputter. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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