splutter
verb (used without object)
to talk rapidly and somewhat incoherently, as when confused, excited, or embarrassed.
were spluttering
-
past progressiveof splutter.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
There were spluttering and bubbling, jerking and rasping, whistling and screaming.
From The History of the Telephone by Herbert Newton Casson
Then he lit the fuses from his lamp and stood a second in assurance that they all were spluttering.
From The Cross-Cut by Courtney Ryley Cooper
A woman with flaming cheeks was throwing handfuls of sliced potatoes into it while she held a saucepan in which a number of eggs were spluttering.
From Combed Out by Frederick Augustus Voigt
The candles had sunk deep into the bottles and were spluttering in a sea of grease.
From The Dark Forest by Sir Hugh Walpole
Sparks were spluttering out of the funnels of army cookers.
From Now It Can Be Told by Philip Gibbs
