bumper-to-bumper
Americanadjective
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marked by a long line of cars moving slowly or with many stops and starts, one behind the other.
bumper-to-bumper traffic.
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Informal. following one another in profusion.
bumper-to-bumper worries.
Etymology
Origin of bumper-to-bumper
First recorded in 1935–40
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.
From lane-detection assistance to help in bumper-to-bumper conditions, vehicles are increasingly taking responsibility for controlling themselves, which has left many car owners recalibrating what it means to be a driver.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025
When I was 18, I fell asleep in bumper-to-bumper traffic and ran into the car in front of me.
From Slate • Nov. 26, 2025
Subaru covers its vehicles with a 3-year/36,000-mile basic bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain protection.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 26, 2025
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 • Mar. 7, 2025
This is bumper-to-bumper traffic like I’ve never seen before.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
