as in muttering
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in chattering
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
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 sputtering
James Glanz, New York Times, 1 May 2026
This one required extra innings and undid a late surge by their sputtering offense.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
Voters first approved the tax in 2020 but lowered it in 2024 amid San Francisco’s sputtering economic recovery.
—Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026
In 2023, Authentic put the SI name on Lunatix, a sputtering ticket marketplace.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
And, yet, at the same time football was sputtering, something else was building.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Drivers reported stalling, sputtering and newly illuminated check engine lights shortly after refueling their vehicles.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
Other factors from rising natural gas prices to the explosion of data centers across the country are also responsible for breathing life back into the sputtering coal industry.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
In November, the Mavericks fired beleaguered general manager Nico Harrison — the prime target of fans’ ire — amid the Mavericks’ sputtering start and Doncic’s scorching early-season play in Los Angeles.
—Eric Prisbell, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
Levi Weaver, New York Times, 4 May 2026
So, the Dodgers’ offense has been sputtering as of late.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
With the majority of their big-league starting lineup competing in the World Baseball Classic, the offense is sputtering big-time.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
After some false starts, a windfall came when David Geffen, the longtime contemporary art collector, made his historic pledge in 2017, injecting some excitement into a campaign that had been sputtering.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
But what could have been a clever commentary on family dysfunction, success and the American way falls flat, only occasionally sputtering to life.
—Cary Darling, Houston Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2026
When the time came for Alan Cumming to cease deliberations, Michael was reduced to sputtering epithets in random sequences.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
The only constant is Mount Etna, looming off to one side, at times sputtering out smoke, ash, and short bursts of lava.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
After sputtering at the beginning of 2026, the economy grew rapidly in the middle two quarters and is on pace to accelerate at a 3% pace in the fourth quarter, according to preliminary data from the Atlanta Fed.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 3 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Only the sputtering right engine remained to provide sporadic thrust and to power some flight controls.
—James Glanz, New York Times, 1 May 2026
This one required extra innings and undid a late surge by their sputtering offense.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
Voters first approved the tax in 2020 but lowered it in 2024 amid San Francisco’s sputtering economic recovery.
—Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026
In 2023, Authentic put the SI name on Lunatix, a sputtering ticket marketplace.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
And, yet, at the same time football was sputtering, something else was building.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Drivers reported stalling, sputtering and newly illuminated check engine lights shortly after refueling their vehicles.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2026
Other factors from rising natural gas prices to the explosion of data centers across the country are also responsible for breathing life back into the sputtering coal industry.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
In November, the Mavericks fired beleaguered general manager Nico Harrison — the prime target of fans’ ire — amid the Mavericks’ sputtering start and Doncic’s scorching early-season play in Los Angeles.
—Eric Prisbell, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
Maybe Bryce Eldridge and Jesús Rodriguez can kick-start the sputtering engine?
—Levi Weaver, New York Times, 4 May 2026
So, the Dodgers’ offense has been sputtering as of late.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
With the majority of their big-league starting lineup competing in the World Baseball Classic, the offense is sputtering big-time.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
After some false starts, a windfall came when David Geffen, the longtime contemporary art collector, made his historic pledge in 2017, injecting some excitement into a campaign that had been sputtering.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
But what could have been a clever commentary on family dysfunction, success and the American way falls flat, only occasionally sputtering to life.
—Cary Darling, Houston Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2026
When the time came for Alan Cumming to cease deliberations, Michael was reduced to sputtering epithets in random sequences.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
The only constant is Mount Etna, looming off to one side, at times sputtering out smoke, ash, and short bursts of lava.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
After sputtering at the beginning of 2026, the economy grew rapidly in the middle two quarters and is on pace to accelerate at a 3% pace in the fourth quarter, according to preliminary data from the Atlanta Fed.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 3 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputtering
Verb
-
Hardcore Survivor fans love to discuss and debate the intricacies of the game and their favorite seasons and winners in the same way that sports fans enjoy chattering nonstop about their teams.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Feb. 2026
-
This is the shelter’s busiest season, making for the film’s most vibrant, chattering section, and Hélène adapts well to the rhythm and volume of whatever company rolls in, while occasionally retreating to the woods for some respite.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Far from faltering, Lip-Bu Tan, who became chief executive of Intel in March 2025, is flourishing.—
Kamal Ahmed,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Milan supporters must hope that happens before the end of their faltering campaign.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The actress — who is currently treading the boards as Connie Francis in the hit Broadway musical about crooner Bobby Darin's life, Just in Time — took to Instagram Stories over the weekend to call out audience members for shouting at her during performances.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
-
The two-hour discussion grew increasingly tense, with her supporters shouting in protest as Mayor Dean Trantalis and Commissioners John Herbst and Steve Glassman critiqued Williams and her first year on the job.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Chase Reid, meanwhile, just put together a better-than-point-per-game season in the OHL and has the loud tools — the escapability and skating speed in particular — that have NHL scouts positively drooling.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Predators respond with head shaking, gaping, drooling, and frantic licking.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Windows Vista and its early WDDM woes had reduced my previously badass main PC with two Nvidia 7900GT cards in SLI to a stuttering BSOD-spitting mess, and the future of Microsoft OSes looked bleak—Windows 7 wouldn’t be along to change the situation for years.—
Lee Hutchinson,
ArsTechnica,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
In a recent video of the evening posted on TikTok, the former couple can be seen chatting amidst the crowd.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
Anna Wintour, Vogue’s global editorial director, was seen chatting with other guests, next to Parker.—
Elise Hammond,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The stop-motion digital series about a jolly, mumbling, pint-size cook serves up a big slice of serotonin.—
Sonal Dutt,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
London — Two Jewish men were stabbed in broad daylight in a leafy suburb of north London on Wednesday in what police described as a terrorist incident, further rattling a Jewish community already reeling from a series of antisemitic attacks in the British capital.—
Jomana Karadsheh,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
That includes the stories behind the backboard-rattling dunks and blocks on the basketball court.—
Tracy Kimball,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sputtering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputtering. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
