as in expectoration
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Recent Examples of sputum
Yeast from urine or sputum is often reported without that precision, and only gradually have labs adopted the methods that distinguish Candida auris from commoner relatives, so those counts climb partly as testing improves.
—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Doctors typically use a skin or blood test to detect TB infection, followed by imaging or sputum (mucus) testing to confirm active disease, per the CDC.
—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may produce bloody sputum—symptoms that can easily be mistaken for flu.
—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Nov. 2025
Nearly three-quarters of diagnoses still depend on sputum microscopy, a method first introduced around 140 years ago, that can miss active cases.
—
CNN Money,
21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputum
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Doctors typically use a skin or blood test to detect TB infection, followed by imaging or sputum (mucus) testing to confirm active disease, per the CDC.
—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may produce bloody sputum—symptoms that can easily be mistaken for flu.
—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Nov. 2025
Nearly three-quarters of diagnoses still depend on sputum microscopy, a method first introduced around 140 years ago, that can miss active cases.
—
CNN Money,
21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sputum
salivation
Noun
-
Even having contact with a dog in the household that has been treated with a spot-on topical product can cause a cat to have neurological signs (usually tremors, shaking and salivation).
-
All parts of this plant contains saponins, which can cause salivation, vomiting and GI upset.
Cite this Entry
“Sputum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sputum. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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