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• n  the noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively
• n  an utterance (of words) with spitting sounds (as in rage)
• v  make an explosive sound
  sputtering engines
• v  cause to undergo a process in which atoms are removed
  The solar wind protons must sputter away the surface atoms of the dust
• v  climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
• v  utter with a spitting sound, as if in a rage
• v  spit up in an explosive manner

• The 1937 football season flared up and sputtered out for good last week on 1938's first day when 14 teams met in well-ballyhooed post-season games.
• In such a finely tuned cognitive engine, only a small part must start to sputter before the whole machine comes crashing down.
• Hustle Flow might sputter without the seductive screen intelligence of Terrence Howard.

• spatter
• spattering
• splatter
• splattering
• splutter
• sputtering
• clamber
• scramble
• shin
• shinny
• skin
• struggle
• spit out

News & Articles

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• Editorial: Bloomberg wrong and right on big sodas
  As Mayor Michael Bloomberg fights in appellate court to impose a ban on large sugary soft drinks in the city, we're hoping his high-profile public-health initiative continues to sputter and fizzle.
  June 11, 2013 - amNewYork
• NBA Finals: Heat sputter late, fall in Game 1 to Spurs
  NBA Finals: Heat sputter late, fall in Game 1 to Spurs by Tim Reynolds The Associated Press Published Jun 7, 2013 06:46AM MDT Miami • A triple-double wasn’t enough for LeBron James. And for the second straight year, the Miami Heat lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals. James finished with a sensational final stat line, finishing with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. But while he did plenty of ...
  June 7, 2013 - The Salt Lake Tribune
• Twins fall apart against Kansas City in 7-3 loss
  Kansas City rallied for four runs off Jared Burton while the Twins offense continued to sputter.
  June 7, 2013 - Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

Quotes

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• Marion Blakey in Forbes
  FAA Administrator Marion Blakey on Thursday said if the agency's reauthorization does not tie its revenue to its business costs, "the improvements will sputter along, the delays will only get worse and every weekend will feel like Labor Day."
• Steven Jackson in Sports Network
  I think we punted on every possession except for the interception that we had,said Jackson of his team's second-half play. "Just for us to come out so dominant and then sputter in the second half, I think that is really what is...
• Willie Randolph in USA Today
  I don't think it's a slump at all. Sometime you sputter as a group,Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "We've got to kind of pick each other up and find a way to put the total game together so we can get rolling a little bit. We will. We...