fender bender

or fender-bender

noun

, Informal.

1. a collision between motor vehicles in which there is only minor damage.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fender bender¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

He’d been stripped of his driver’s license after the fender bender.

From Washington Post

Angela was in a fender-bender about four months ago—not her fault, she insisted—and a police officer asked to see Arizona ID.

From The Daily Beast