sputtered; sputtering; sputters
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
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
1
: confused and excited speech or discussion
2
: the act or sound of sputtering
Examples of sputter in a Sentence
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
Ryan Leas, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025
Arizona, which sputtered early but has rolled through the Big 12, received a No. 3 seed from the committee and was the No. 12 overall seed.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2025
Megan Poinski, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Analyst says Microsoft is cutting AI data center spending, which may have led to market sell-off
Some ‘Trump trades’ are starting to roll over as the stock market sputters
The last few analysts are commenting before Nvidia’s big earnings this week.
—Kif Leswing, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
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Verb
The stakes are higher when a would-be forever sputters out.
—Ryan Leas, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025
Arizona, which sputtered early but has rolled through the Big 12, received a No. 3 seed from the committee and was the No. 12 overall seed.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2025
Noun
As the stock market sputters, companies stall on big decisions, consumers pull back on spending and job cuts grow, many are asking the same question: Is a recession on the horizon?
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Analyst says Microsoft is cutting AI data center spending, which may have led to market sell-off
Some ‘Trump trades’ are starting to roll over as the stock market sputters
The last few analysts are commenting before Nvidia’s big earnings this week.
—Kif Leswing, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sputter
Cite this Entry
“Sputter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sputter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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