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.

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 dearth of public transport is another nail in the coffin of the sputtering economy.

From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026

Instead, the arcs, lobes, and central dust cloud likely formed through a coordinated series of sputtering outbursts deep within the carbon-rich core of the aging star.

From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2026

Despite the sputtering light, it was a dim and smoky place that reeked of bad ale, stale bread, and sour wine.

From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi