as in shouts
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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Recent Examples of sputters
The arc of the season sputters between big and little problems in a haphazard manner, with strange side quests for Simon and Trevor that are more head-scratching than adventurous.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
That's why, for weeks, Browns fans, analysts, and even local radio hosts have pressed Cleveland to give Sanders more playing time as the offense sputters under Dillon Gabriel.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025
And can Justin Herbert rev up an offense that sputters in the red zone while likely missing LT Joe Alt to an ankle injury?
—Greg Cote
october 2, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
But where Cinema Slasher shines, Chilling Chambers sputters.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Daboll says Wilson will get another start Sunday in Dallas, but if the offense sputters again, don’t be surprised if rookie Jaxson Dart gets the call.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
While the climax sputters a bit, the rest is taut and engrossing.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
That's why, for weeks, Browns fans, analysts, and even local radio hosts have pressed Cleveland to give Sanders more playing time as the offense sputters under Dillon Gabriel.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025
And can Justin Herbert rev up an offense that sputters in the red zone while likely missing LT Joe Alt to an ankle injury?
—Greg Cote
october 2, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
But where Cinema Slasher shines, Chilling Chambers sputters.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Daboll says Wilson will get another start Sunday in Dallas, but if the offense sputters again, don’t be surprised if rookie Jaxson Dart gets the call.
—Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
While the climax sputters a bit, the rest is taut and engrossing.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputters
Verb
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The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Yet there has been no panic internally, nor shouts from players or hierarchy to abandon the plan.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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It's got 8GB RAM, which ensures multitasking never stutters, and its 13-inch Liquid Retina display is just exquisite to look at.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Your dad mutters for head movement, for cage cutting, for not playing off the back and creating distance.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The device, which clamps onto the line just above the hook and pairs zinc and graphite in seawater, creates a small electric field about the size of a beachball around the hook, and rattles approaching sharks.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
-
This ghost rattles industrial hoses and temporarily melds with an air purifier.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The father, Man, prattles on about mowing the lawn, painting the fence, and managing their orchard’s irrigation, while the son periodically falls off his chair from boredom.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Jarrett frequently appears in her videos, including sit-down Q&A chats the couple films together.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Host Mary Louise Kelly chats with national security correspondent Greg Myre and books and culture reporter Andrew Limbong about some of their favorite books and authors in the world of espionage fiction.—
December 29,
NPR,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
From the first moment, the vibe is off, as Brady looks earnestly at Rooney, the England legend mumbles and gives vague answers.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
McEntire shrieks between laughs, gesturing to the photographer.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sputters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputters. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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