sputter
verb uk/ˈspʌt.ər/ us/ˈspʌt̬.ɚ/
(SOUND)
[ I or T ]（使）发出噼啪声
to make several quick explosive sounds
The car sputtered once or twice and then stopped. 汽车噼啪响了一两声就停了下来。
(ACTIVITY)
[ I ] literary（活动）勉强进行
If an activity sputters, it is weak and varied, and does not make people feel confident about it.
Russia's presidential campaign sputtered to an uneasy close on Monday. 俄罗斯的总统竞选活动磕磕绊绊，于周一勉强结束了。