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.
-
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.
Gusts of wind crashed into the bus like ocean waves as they inched along in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
From Literature
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.
“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
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.
