bumper-to-bumper

[buhm-per-tuh-buhm-per]

adjective

1. marked by a long line of cars moving slowly or with many stops and starts, one behind the other.

   bumper-to-bumper traffic.

2. Informal.,  following one another in profusion.

   bumper-to-bumper worries.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bumper-to-bumper¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

“I-405” is a frenetic, driving, cinematic journey that perfectly captures the drama and beauty roiling underneath bumper-to-bumper frustration.

From Los Angeles Times

To Angelenos who get stuck in bumper-to-bumper freeway traffic every day, the prospect of a diminished population might seem enticing.

From Los Angeles Times

Most of the motorists sitting bumper-to-bumper on Hatfield Road would not have been able to point to the bridge on a map a decade ago.

From BBC

Fire trucks from as far afield as San Diego and Contra Costa counties were parked bumper-to-bumper along one stretch.

From Los Angeles Times

The neighborhood’s streets — narrow, snaking through hills and canyons — had become parking lots as panicked locals stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic bailed out of their vehicles and fled on foot.

From Los Angeles Times