sputter
1 of 2verb
sput·ter ˈspə-tər 
sputtered; sputtering; sputters
transitive verb
1
: to spit or squirt from the mouth with explosive sounds
2
: to utter hastily or explosively in confusion or excitement
"that's ridiculous!" she sputtered
3
: to dislodge (atoms) from the surface of a material by collision with high energy particles
also : to deposit (a metallic film) by such a process
intransitive verb
1
: to spit or squirt particles of food or saliva noisily from the mouth
2
: to speak explosively or confusedly in anger or excitement
3
: to make explosive popping sounds
sputterer noun
sputter
2 of 2noun
1
: confused and excited speech or discussion
2
: the act or sound of sputtering
Synonyms
Verb
- babble
- bumble
- chat
- chatter
- drivel
- drool
- gabble
- gibber
- jabber
- prattle
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb The motor sputtered and died. He was sputtering with rage. She sputtered an angry protest. “You, you have to be kidding!” he sputtered.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2023 The helium and hydrogen layers will sputter out and reignite, mix together, and stratify. —Popular Mechanics, 25 Jan. 2023 More than 1,000 active volcanoes around our planet can sputter glowing lava and smoky ash, and the world's biggest one has erupted in Hawaii after 38 years dormant. —Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2022 Carbon emissions around the world will need to plummet over the coming decades, and sputter out completely by the end of the century. —April Reese, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2015 When one Brown child came out as gay and then as transgender, the family’s reaction was to sputter a little and then hug the young adult and offer support. —Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2023 In the meantime, people in the Central Valley’s rural communities continue to suffer the consequences as more wells sputter and dry up. —Ian Jamesstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2022 As a whole, the Rangers offense continues to sputter and ranks only 18th in MLB in first-inning runs. —Dallas News, 26 July 2022 Things began to sputter when quarterback Jalon Daniels suffered a shoulder injury. —Michael Arinze, Chicago Tribune, 28 Dec. 2022 Jennifer Surane, Bloomberg.com, 13 Dec. 2022 After seeing a Hilltop drive sputter and end in a missed field goal with 7:29 left and the game knotted at 7-7, Montgomery marched down field, behind quarterback Ignacio Mondragon, 80 yards in 12 plays to score the winner. —Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2022 The World Bank last week slashed its 2023 growth forecasts to levels close to recession for many countries as the impact of central bank rate hikes intensifies, Russia's war in Ukraine continues, and the world's major economic engines sputter. —Fox News, 17 Jan. 2023 As soon as the plane took off, witnesses recalled hearing the engine sputter and seeing the plane crash into Beards Creek. —Justin George, Washington Post, 26 Dec. 2022 As the engines sputter and whine on the prison transport plane Jailbird. —Michael Lee Simpson, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2022 Anybody who simply watched East Carolina run up and down the field, and the offense sputter time after time in the fourth quarter, would arrive at that conclusion. —Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 Nov. 2022 Aaron Judge, as the Yankees’ band leader, would not let his group of misfits sputter. —Julian Mcwilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2022 More likely is that the economy at least flirts with recession and earnings sputter, with a decent possibility that profits are hammered by a proper economic downturn. —James Mackintosh, WSJ, 18 Sep. 2022 See More
Verb
The slowdown in hiring in recent months is a sign that the Fed’s strategy may finally be constraining the labor market, which remained a standout even as some drivers of economic activity started to sputter. —Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2023 The helium and hydrogen layers will sputter out and reignite, mix together, and stratify. —Popular Mechanics, 25 Jan. 2023 More than 1,000 active volcanoes around our planet can sputter glowing lava and smoky ash, and the world's biggest one has erupted in Hawaii after 38 years dormant. —Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2022 Carbon emissions around the world will need to plummet over the coming decades, and sputter out completely by the end of the century. —April Reese, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2015 When one Brown child came out as gay and then as transgender, the family’s reaction was to sputter a little and then hug the young adult and offer support. —Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2023 In the meantime, people in the Central Valley’s rural communities continue to suffer the consequences as more wells sputter and dry up. —Ian Jamesstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2022 As a whole, the Rangers offense continues to sputter and ranks only 18th in MLB in first-inning runs. —Dallas News, 26 July 2022 Things began to sputter when quarterback Jalon Daniels suffered a shoulder injury. —Michael Arinze, Chicago Tribune, 28 Dec. 2022 Noun
Even as the world’s economic engines sputter, AmEx’s rebound from its brush with death has made Squeri even more bullish. —Jennifer Surane, Bloomberg.com, 13 Dec. 2022 After seeing a Hilltop drive sputter and end in a missed field goal with 7:29 left and the game knotted at 7-7, Montgomery marched down field, behind quarterback Ignacio Mondragon, 80 yards in 12 plays to score the winner. —Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2022 The World Bank last week slashed its 2023 growth forecasts to levels close to recession for many countries as the impact of central bank rate hikes intensifies, Russia's war in Ukraine continues, and the world's major economic engines sputter. —Fox News, 17 Jan. 2023 As soon as the plane took off, witnesses recalled hearing the engine sputter and seeing the plane crash into Beards Creek. —Justin George, Washington Post, 26 Dec. 2022 As the engines sputter and whine on the prison transport plane Jailbird. —Michael Lee Simpson, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2022 Anybody who simply watched East Carolina run up and down the field, and the offense sputter time after time in the fourth quarter, would arrive at that conclusion. —Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 Nov. 2022 Aaron Judge, as the Yankees’ band leader, would not let his group of misfits sputter. —Julian Mcwilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2022 More likely is that the economy at least flirts with recession and earnings sputter, with a decent possibility that profits are hammered by a proper economic downturn. —James Mackintosh, WSJ, 18 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
akin to Dutch sputteren to sputter
First Known Use
Verb
1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing sputter
Kids Definition
sputter
1 of 2 verb sput·ter ˈspət-ər
1
: to spit or squirt pieces of food or saliva noisily from the mouth
2
: to speak or utter hastily or explosively in confusion or excitement
sputtered out protests
3
: to make explosive popping sounds
the motor sputtered and died
sputterer noun
-ər-ər
sputter
2 of 2 noun : the act or sound of sputtering
sputter
verb
as in to mutter
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly she was so shocked that, for a moment, all she could do was sputter Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- mutter
- shout
- drool
- gibber
- rattle
- chatter
- stutter
- babble
- chat
- shriek
- gabble
- prattle
- screech
- mumble
- jabber
- stammer
- bumble
- drivel
- blather
- patter
- prate
- bleat
- murmur
- smatter
- blabber
- blither
- troll
- mouth
- yack
- yak
- gab
- jaw
- chunter
- run on
- maunder
- jangle
- tittle-tattle
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- pronounce
- articulate
- enunciate