as in muttering
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as in chattering
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sputtering
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
On a mission to turn around the governor’s sputtering presidential campaign, Uthmeier was asked about his boss’s performance in a Republican debate that had just ended.
—Dan Sullivan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Some signs that the carburetor is clogged on a snow blower are starting then dying a few seconds afterward, jerking, sputtering noises, and black smoke emitting from the exhaust.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 1 Feb. 2026
Wait for the sputtering sound to subside.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 Jan. 2026
The climate alarm machine—powered by the twin engines of moral panic and groupthink homogeneity—is sputtering.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Flat out, when the Bills’ offense was sputtering, the defense stole the game right from the Steelers’ grasp.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
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
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
The fact that Stockton had to keep doing that was a reflection of the offense around him sputtering.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The offense was sputtering more often than not for most of the Hurricanes’ first-round College Football Playoff matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies, a combination of swirling wind and a stout defense making things difficult.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
As the holiday season approaches, Americans dipping into savings, scouring for bargains and feeling like the overall economy is sputtering, a new AP-NORC poll finds.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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
On a mission to turn around the governor’s sputtering presidential campaign, Uthmeier was asked about his boss’s performance in a Republican debate that had just ended.
—Dan Sullivan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Some signs that the carburetor is clogged on a snow blower are starting then dying a few seconds afterward, jerking, sputtering noises, and black smoke emitting from the exhaust.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 1 Feb. 2026
Wait for the sputtering sound to subside.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 Jan. 2026
The climate alarm machine—powered by the twin engines of moral panic and groupthink homogeneity—is sputtering.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Flat out, when the Bills’ offense was sputtering, the defense stole the game right from the Steelers’ grasp.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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
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
The fact that Stockton had to keep doing that was a reflection of the offense around him sputtering.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The offense was sputtering more often than not for most of the Hurricanes’ first-round College Football Playoff matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies, a combination of swirling wind and a stout defense making things difficult.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
As the holiday season approaches, Americans dipping into savings, scouring for bargains and feeling like the overall economy is sputtering, a new AP-NORC poll finds.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
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
-
That change eventually happened in the technical area, with Igor Tudor replacing Frank, but the coach with a reputation for breathing new life into faltering clubs on the continent is having no such impact in north London.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
First-time nominee Jordan could ride this wave in a now wide-open Best Actor race, as Timothée Chalamet has been faltering.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Giddey stopped, the ball cradled in his palm, shouting while jerking his hand in the rough direction of his intended pass.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Her documentation concluded with a panicked scene of her and other civilians shouting in fear as drones flew overhead.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even a small amount, whether inhaled or absorbed through the skin, can lead to drooling, vomiting, tremors, or difficulty breathing.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Mar. 2026
-
His first swing of spring training showcased the kind of pop that has kept the Yankees drooling.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lee interacted with attendees, greeted fans and provided customer service inside the restaurant, taking pictures, chatting and serving menu items.—
Imelda García,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
And in retirement, Begel loved to sit on his front porch on Milwaukee's east side, chatting with neighbors about their lives and telling stories about his own.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 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
-
Then you are hit by another song, booming from a new performer and accompanied by the sound of his shopping cart rattling over the cobblestone street.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The conflict has since spread across the region, rattling global markets, disrupting air travel and leaving Iran’s leadership weakened by hundreds of Israeli and American airstrikes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Emirates has been trying to get its sprawling travel network up and running after several days of halting flights due to the war.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Many pharmaceutical company executives, physicians, and patient advocates all recently took part in a Senate hearing on how FDA bureaucracy is halting innovation.—
Ian Thomas,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sputtering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputtering. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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