sputtering

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But what’s extra notable about the sputtering tech partnerships of the 2020s is how baldly they smack of desperation.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

While going rather easy on King George, Ms. Worsley is dismayed by the strategy of her antecedents, whose tactics often seemed calculated to fan the sputtering flames of rebellion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

With the June primary looming, Villaraigosa’s campaign risks sputtering out.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

Whether it's been age profile, a creaking scrum, a sputtering attack, the unsettled fly-half situation or a British and Irish Lions hangover, most of the discussion has been largely negative.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

The winter night blew in with frosty wind, and the street lamps with their sputtering carbons swung restlessly and made the shadows dart back and forth like a runner trying to steal second base.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck