Object

• engine: Beneath him the rumble of the engines spluttered into life.

• bit: Once he realized that I was not going to let go of his hand he came back and coughed and spluttered a bit.

• something: While Tony splutters something incomprehensible about five tests, Peter Caruana, Gibraltar's chief minister, outlines his plans.

• mess: It could be a spluttering mess; it was never going to be anything but a spluttering mess.

• noise: Hmmm. ' A brief moment of brittle silence was broken by spluttering noises from Mark Turner ( of Track and Classics ) beside me.

Converse of object

• make: The rush of air from the cart made each one splutter.

Preposition: into

• life: Beneath him the rumble of the engines spluttered into life.

Modifying Another Word

• back: Edgar's brave challenge ended when the coil gave way, causing him to splutter back to the pits.

• then: On the first bump ( no kick start, still looking for one ) it coughed and spluttered then died.

• not: I'm trying to work toward not spluttering with incomprehension because not everyone else shares my tastes.

Noun used with modifier

• engine: Another sharp turn of the starting handle and the single cylinder, 700cc engine splutters, coughs and bursts into life.

Followed by an intransitive particle

• over: There was one moment, when she spluttered over her glass.

• along: This Open House is spluttering along, seeking ways to meet the particular needs of London juniors.