as in muttering
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as in stuttering
to speak with many pauses and repetitions
He stammers when he's nervous.
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Recent Examples of stammering
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2025
The stammering old man is trying to be a Tamburlaine.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Even characters like Lauren Domingue — sweet, stammering, fearful Lauren, who is not boring, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2025
The stammering old man is trying to be a Tamburlaine.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stammering
Verb
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The attack ended what had been a stuttering process of bilateral US-Iranian talks designed to rein in Tehran’s nuclear program.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
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So was bassist Pino Palladino, late jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, keyboardist James Poyser, and Questlove’s stuttering percussion, inspired by secret weapon, Hip-hop production game-changer J Dilla.—
Keith Murphy,
VIBE.com,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The girl was found on the floor mumbling and spitting up blood, according to the warrant affidavit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
6 Jan. 2026
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Tomorrow morning, New Yorkers across the five boroughs will be nursing their hangovers, mumbling bacon, egg, and cheese orders—and welcoming a new mayor.—
Jocelyn Silver,
Vogue,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The climate alarm machine—powered by the twin engines of moral panic and groupthink homogeneity—is sputtering.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Dec. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Against Gauff, Svitolina displayed relentless aggression, attacking the American’s faltering forehand.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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The company’s aging lineup and slow-selling Cybertruck faces growing competition from fresher EVs offered by mainstream carmakers, while the loss of federal tax credits for EV purchasers in the US has put more pressure on demand that already was faltering.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Big pharmaceutical companies and major venture capitalists are interested in novel approaches but hesitant.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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Perhaps reflecting the stakes, GOP staff and campaign aides were hesitant Monday to talk about the issue at all.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The storm had dropped over a foot of snow across a 1,300-mile swath from Arkansas to New England, halting traffic, canceling thousands of flights and triggering wide school closures Monday.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The storm continued into Friday, halting transportation, businesses and schools statewide for two days.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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That’s harder to do in heavy scenes where people talk about their emotions, because real people tend to be inarticulate in these moments.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
2 Dec. 2025
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Hank’s friends – conspiracy theorist Dale, military barber Bill, and cool but inarticulate Boomhauer, along with Peggy’s friends Minh and meteorologist Nancy, and Bobby’s friend Connie helped the Hills navigate a changing world.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stammering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stammering. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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