speed bump

American  

noun

• speed bumps
  plural

1. a rounded ridge built crosswise into the pavement of a road or driveway to force vehicles to slow down.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• speed bumps
  plural

Etymology

Origin of speed bump

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

speed bump

Or are they just another speed bump on the way to peace?

From Slate ● Jul. 9, 2026

U.S. stocks hit some turbulence in June, and that seemed to carry over into early July, as a powerful momentum trade centered on semiconductor stocks hit a speed bump.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026

Others would characterize the plague less as a turning point than a speed bump that slowed Europe’s inevitable ascent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

Chip stocks hit a speed bump late last week, and again on Monday, with the first meaningful downturn in the sector benchmark since late March.

From Barron's ● May 18, 2026

As though he were some speed bump in my way?

From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling