as in shouted
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as in drooled
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
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Recent Examples of sputtered
Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Mar. 2026
Healthcare, recently the principal engine of American job growth, sputtered, shedding 28,000 jobs.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
The few cars that attempted to drive through the flood sputtered and died, bonnet-deep in swirling pondweed.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Ike, the reigning WCC player of the week, sputtered with his shot most of the night and had to score nine points over the final five minutes to keep his streak going.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Proposals to create public options in Maine and New Mexico also sputtered.
—Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez, NPR, 18 Feb. 2026
The team with the oldest players — starring LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard — started hot, beating the younger American stars and the best of the rest from the international pool before the engine sputtered and the wheels fell off with the championship on the line.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
While layoffs remain relatively contained, the engine of job creation has sputtered.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
When the invaders were 200 to 300 yards inland, enemy machine guns sputtered and the air filled with steel.
—Helen I. Bennett, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Carter sputtered early but exploded in the second and third quarters to run away with a 67-41 win.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Mar. 2026
Healthcare, recently the principal engine of American job growth, sputtered, shedding 28,000 jobs.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
The few cars that attempted to drive through the flood sputtered and died, bonnet-deep in swirling pondweed.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Ike, the reigning WCC player of the week, sputtered with his shot most of the night and had to score nine points over the final five minutes to keep his streak going.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Proposals to create public options in Maine and New Mexico also sputtered.
—Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez, NPR, 18 Feb. 2026
The team with the oldest players — starring LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard — started hot, beating the younger American stars and the best of the rest from the international pool before the engine sputtered and the wheels fell off with the championship on the line.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
While layoffs remain relatively contained, the engine of job creation has sputtered.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
When the invaders were 200 to 300 yards inland, enemy machine guns sputtered and the air filled with steel.
—Helen I. Bennett, Hartford Courant, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputtered
Adjective
-
This blend of styles is not only about presenting contrasts—clean versus shouted vocals, melodic versus dissonant riffs, headbanging versus moshing—but also preserving the murky in-between that only elevates the extreme.—
Sam Sodomsky,
Pitchfork,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Keong says these pillow protectors slide easily over her puffiest pillows, wash up well at the laundromat, and help prevent her new pillows from getting too drooled-on to be presentable for overnight guests.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Our lives and bodies conversed and chattered.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Dec. 2025
-
Clancy then walked in from behind the stage, carrying a bouquet of flowers as the students chattered.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Entrepreneur Matt Schlicht founded Moltbook, a platform where AI agents could speak with each other without human input, and the results were both captivating and terrifying as agents chatted about everything from productivity to the nature of their existence.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The 14 year old, who is one of Cincinnati's Top Content Creators of 2026, chatted with The Enquirer in its Downtown office in February.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As for one consistent complaint heard muttered amid bleary-eyed guests of the former Standard, Schrager confirms the appropriate adjustments have been made.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
-
But the other 3%, often muttered by students prospectively examining transfer applications, is distinct.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His wraparound, tight-quarters assist on a Keshad Johnson dunk in the second half breathed fire into the lungs of the home crowd.—
Bryce Miller Columnist,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Nov. 2021
Verb
-
But the decision to proceed with the mass demonstration attended by some senior government officials and Israel's threat underscored the fierce determination on both sides of a war that has rattled the global economy and shows no sign of letting up.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Hezbollah's initial rocket attack followed by Israel's swift bombardments overnight rattled Lebanon and the mass evacuation notices caught people off-guard.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
No photograph could catch the smell drifting from the nearby military barracks and Indian camps; capture the murmured swirl of French, English, Arapaho, and Lakota; or let a viewer feel the colliding anxieties and expectations that hung heavy over negotiations like this.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sputtered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputtered. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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