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.
In Llanbedr, Theo, 13, and Idris, 12, told Newyddion S4C they were doing their best to help when they tried to help visitors forge a path through bumper-to-bumper traffic.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
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
Soon they had to slow down because trucks were parked bumper-to-bumper up and down the side of the narrow dirt road.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
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.
