sputter

Hopes had been high that the eurozone's traditional growth engine would sputter back to life in 2026 after years of stagnation, driven by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's public spending blitz.

From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026

If an oil shock persisted long enough, economic growth could also sputter.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 24, 2026

To challenge that, he made Clark Kent a nerd, hunching his shoulders, making him sputter with nervousness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026

The series follows LeBlanc’s Joey Tribbiani to Hollywood — or “Ollywoo,” per his obstructed view of the Hollywood sign — where his acting career will sputter out of and into life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025

I walked out into the hall just in time to hear my father’s old Chevy Nova sputter loudly to life.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

The plot’s engine sputters as the film contentedly wafts just out of reach.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Thankfully, there are a few moments when the album sputters into life.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

When Jay goes on to paraphrase “Baldwin” on the subject of white racism, Leigh is befuddled: “Alec Baldwin’s black?” he sputters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

Small-cap companies tend to have weaker balance sheets, higher debt loads and can become more vulnerable to defaults than major corporations if the economy sputters.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 22, 2026

Captain Smith sputters, but no words come to him.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

Their offense has sputtered and wheezed, even as their defense has done its part to keep them in games.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Momentum has sputtered for China’s domestic economy after a strong start to the year, with growth slowing to 4.3% in the second quarter and major indicators cooling sharply for July.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

They took their proverbial foot off the gas, ran out of gas, sputtered to the finish line, got outscored 23-7 in the fourth quarter and looked like anything but a team with serious playoff plans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

Sales at U.S. retailers in July had the largest decline in 14 months, but not because the economy sputtered.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Skipper finally managed a pretty good one, but most of the children simply giggled and sputtered, and Nicky got the hiccups.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry

In turn, the technorati are sputtering, trying to regroup for their counteroffensive while laying blame for why the dreams of AI aren’t being embraced.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

The researchers produced the material using magnetron sputtering deposition, a process that applies a thin film to a surface.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026

All of this left Cuban Ambassador Bruno Rodríguez sputtering in rage as he banged the desk and accused the American of failing to observe “decorum,” and calling him “a liar.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

The director’s moaning score here, supplemented with sputtering engines and clanking chains, underline the movie’s ghost-story vibe — the sense that poor Nick is both alive and dead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

Eliza stared into the light of the sputtering candle.

From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson