sputter
Falter and pop
Sputter is to make a series of short, explosive sounds—like a failing engine or fat hitting a hot pan.
People sputter when they speak in bursts, often from anger or confusion: He sputtered with indignation.
A candle sputters before dying.
By extension, something that sputters is losing momentum: The economy sputtered through the recession.
As a noun, a sputter is such a sound or burst of activity.
Failure to discharge
- stallEnclosed compartment or delay
- idleWithout activity or purpose
- carburetorEngine fuel-air mixer
- ignitionStarting combustion process
combustion · choke · cylinder · exhaust · backfire · cough · rev · throttle
Enclosed compartment or delay
- fizzleFail after promising start
- flagCloth symbol or signal
- waneDecrease gradually
- stumbleLose footing momentarily
flounder · struggle · weaken · decline · deteriorate · collapse · ebb · fade
Speak with involuntary repetitions
- stutterInvoluntary speech repetition
- mumbleSpeak softly, indistinctly
- stumbleLose footing momentarily
- fumbleHandle with clumsy fingers
halting · tongue-tied · flustered · incoherent · garbled · choke · blurt · gasp
Microwave-generating vacuum tube
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- thin-filmUltra-shallow material layer
- plasmaElectrified matter state
- vacuumAbsence of matter
argon · cathode · target · coating · reactive · evaporation · semiconductor · microfabrication
Occurring at irregular intervals
- erraticLacking regularity or consistency
- fitfulIrregular and spasmodic
- sporadicOccurring irregularly, infrequently
- unevenNot smooth or balanced
jerky · spasmodic · halting · unpredictable · unsteady · stuttering · inconsistent · choppy
crackle
Sharp snapping sounds
spark · ember · flicker · snap · fizzle · guttering · candle · wick · grease · kindling
misfire
Failure to discharge
- stallEnclosed compartment or delay
- idleWithout activity or purpose
- carburetorEngine fuel-air mixer
ignition · combustion · choke · cylinder · exhaust · backfire · cough · rev · throttle · diesel
stall
Enclosed compartment or delay
stumble · flounder · struggle · weaken · decline · deteriorate · collapse · ebb · fade · crumble
stammer
Speak with involuntary repetitions
fumble · halting · tongue-tied · flustered · incoherent · garbled · choke · blurt · gasp · indignant
magnetron
Microwave-generating vacuum tube
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- thin-filmUltra-shallow material layer
- plasmaElectrified matter state
vacuum · argon · cathode · target · coating · reactive · evaporation · semiconductor · microfabrication · etching
intermittent
Occurring at irregular intervals
- erraticLacking regularity or consistency
- fitfulIrregular and spasmodic
- sporadicOccurring irregularly, infrequently
uneven · jerky · spasmodic · halting · unpredictable · unsteady · stuttering · inconsistent · choppy · patchy
- fizzle outpeter out, taper off, dwindle, wane, die away
- machine soundshumming, buzzing, whirring, clanking, grinding
- malfunction signscrash, freeze, stall, glitch, bug
- sound effectssound effects, sound effect, ringtone, boing, crash
- -le/-er verbsbabble, bubble, bumble, burble, crackle
- mouth soundsburp, chew, chomp, crunch, gulp
- sputter outFail gradually, weakly
- sputtered outFailed in irregular bursts
- sputtering outEnding in fitful gasps