as in to stammer
to speak with many involuntary pauses and repetitions
I used to stutter when I was a child. She stutters when she gets excited.
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Recent Examples of stutter
There are echoes of those campaigns this term; Arsenal led the standings for the majority of those seasons and is stuttering.
—
ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
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
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
Characters on stage would struggle under the weight of scene-setting, or narration, storylines would stutter, feel clumsy or pleading.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stutter
ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
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
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
Characters on stage would struggle under the weight of scene-setting, or narration, storylines would stutter, feel clumsy or pleading.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stutter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stutter
Verb
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This leads to Gregory asking about Lord Anderson, but before Violet has even stammered her way through two words, Benedict whips in like a bat outta hell.—
Christina Grace Tucker,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
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Already the leaders of Europe are stammering out platitudes meant to avoid Trump’s wrath.—
Elie Mystal,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These plants contain cardiac glycosides, which can cause unpleasant symptoms for dogs and cats alike, such as drooling, diarrhea, abdominal pain, abnormal heart rhythm, and even some neurologic signs.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
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Chewing on the bulbs can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea, profuse drooling and burns to the mouth.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The van’s speakers played a high-volume mashup of construction sounds, Jordan Peterson lectures, Marine Corps drills, and mumbling voices.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Jackson allegedly appeared to be in a highly agitated state and was moving erratically and mumbling, police body camera footage shows.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Shoppers shout out the arch support and cushy soles, which are always a plus.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
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Auriemma had angry words for South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and had to be restrained by his assistant coaches while Staley shouted at him in response after UConn lost its first game of the season, 62-48, at the Mortgage Matchup Center.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With few exceptions, all the other students had shrieked in fear and had, from then on, called her gross-out or bug-girl.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
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The finale is an ambiguous mix of jollity and agitation, with a piccolo shrieking above a militant march.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But that pact came without the protection of a no-trade clause, and as the Cubs sputtered to a second consecutive 83-win, playoff-less season, the idea of trading a controllable second baseman with the ability to play shortstop to upgrade the roster wasn’t too far-fetched.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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The Storm’s offense sputtered a bit the rest of the half, but the defense did its part, holding Columbus to a pair of field goals.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stutter. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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