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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stutter
Nabers gained immediate separation by stuttering his release before exploding down the left sideline.
—
Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
In the weeks since the truce was reached, life has begun to stutter back to normal in Tyre, where tens of thousands of residents have returned to the coastal city.
—Euan Ward, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024
First, the hard cut: Samuel in a medium shot, shirtless, standing alone in the frame, as those stuttering first notes and thumping synth line drop in.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Dec. 2024
The new Reserve Bank of India governor, Sanjay Malhotra, currently serves as Revenue Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and will have to deftly balance the need to prevent one of the world’s fastest growing major economies from stuttering while keeping a lid on doggedly high inflation.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for stutter
Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 6 Aug. 2024
In the weeks since the truce was reached, life has begun to stutter back to normal in Tyre, where tens of thousands of residents have returned to the coastal city.
—Euan Ward, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024
First, the hard cut: Samuel in a medium shot, shirtless, standing alone in the frame, as those stuttering first notes and thumping synth line drop in.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Dec. 2024
The new Reserve Bank of India governor, Sanjay Malhotra, currently serves as Revenue Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and will have to deftly balance the need to prevent one of the world’s fastest growing major economies from stuttering while keeping a lid on doggedly high inflation.
—Dylan Butts, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for stutter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stutter
Verb
-
The paramedics stammered, thinking they were being scolded for being too close.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2025
-
After stammering for a moment, Boone raised his hands.—
Chris Kirschner,
The Athletic,
24 July 2024
Verb
-
And more than 130 people said their therapist fell asleep during therapy — sometimes going so far as to start drooling or snoring.—
Christina Caron,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Art Deco is enticing in art and in theaters, not so much in a home with drooling pets and messy toddlers.—
Amanda Lauren,
Forbes,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Secular humanists are content to mumble something about the imagination.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Mia, unfortunately, has never been receptive to any of that in her time on the show and defaults to tears and mumbled half-apologies only when cornered.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Green shouted that the president did not have a mandate to cut Medicaid.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Also, shout out to Roan's left thumbnail, which is currently swathed in a Band-Aid.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Democrats will shriek about draconian spending cuts, but the instructions the House has given are modest — really, too modest, if the goal is to change the long-run trajectory of the federal debt.—
The Editors,
National Review,
27 Feb. 2025
-
No wonder, then, that every appearance on that first two-week visit by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Starr was met by shrieking teenagers, signs of what became known as Beatlemania.—
Jorge L. Ortiz,
USA TODAY,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The Lakers’ offense sputtered after a strong start, partly because the short-handed Timberwolves (playing without Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle) tightened up their defense.—
Khobi Price,
Orange County Register,
28 Feb. 2025
-
India’s economy has also sputtered over the previous year, diminishing the country’s bragging rights as being the fastest growing economy within the G20.—
Vasuki Shastry,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stutter. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share