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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After whispering and mumbling my way through the ceremony, I was handed the scroll.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
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Of all the sins that might damn your soul for eternity, mumbling is probably pretty far down the list.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 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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At the same time, public information about vaccination rates is faltering.—
Sarah Owermohle,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
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California’s growth in jobs and economic activity is faltering because Sacramento politicians have been driving away businesses, families, and wealth for years.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Oc Register,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Republicans are hesitant to quit the procedure because Democrats could retake the Senate majority in future elections, and that would give them a bill-passing advantage.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Haro-Ramos co-authored a study published in 2024 that found many Latinos were hesitant to get vaccinated because of fears about their immigration status, and that experiencing health discrimination like care denials or delays increased their vaccine hesitancy.—
Phillip Reese,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The headline asks the world to protect 30 percent of land and oceans by 2030, while cutting pollution and halting habitat loss.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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President Woodrow Wilson enacted the Cloture Rule in 1917, requiring a two-thirds majority vote to pass legislation and prevent prolonged speeches from halting debate.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
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 10 Jan. 2026.
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