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
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
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
Verb
Probst glides through his dialogue for the day in a single take, without stopping or even stammering.
—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stammering
Adjective
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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.
Verb
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Gilbert, now imprisoned at Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York, appeared gaunt and withdrawn during the interview, at times mumbling short responses before abruptly cutting the conversation short.
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McKellen can make a terrific meal out of just a few grunts and groans, spending whole scenes mumbling about nothing in particular; meanwhile, Coel comes across as impenetrable, yet alluringly so.
Adjective
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Their biggest bats were sputtering, too.
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This one required extra innings and undid a late surge by their sputtering offense.
Adjective
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However, despite a stellar rotation and lineup, a faltering bullpen could derail the Dodgers' World Series hopes, potentially leading to roster moves if performance doesn't improve.
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Voters in the once-reliable Labor stronghold of Makerfield handed Burnham nearly 55% of the vote, rebuking both Starmer’s faltering government and surging right-wing challenger Reform UK.
Adjective
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His kids, though hesitant at first, became a large part of the business.
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The stock is catching the eye of short-sellers, but as CNBC’s Yun Li reports, many still seem hesitant about betting against Elon Musk.
Adjective
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But gumbo’s halting half-century-long acceptance arc is not an exception to the American story.
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Tesla’s halting progress is particularly evident in California.
Adjective
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Simpson, butched up and closed off and vibrating with inarticulate pain, is superb in the part, and Jimenez’s rigid shoulders and frozen face are wrenching.
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Yet masculinism also functions as a perpetual-motion machine of grievance, an inarticulate howl of anguish at the status quo—whatever that currently is.
Cite this Entry
“Stammering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stammering. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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