1
: a brimming cup or glass
2
: something unusually large
1
: unusually large
a bumper crop
2
1
: a device for absorbing shock or preventing damage (as in collision)
specifically
: a bar at either end of an automobile
2
: one that bumps
3
: a brief interval on radio or television filled with music, video shots, or voice-overs that marks a break between a program and a commercial
Examples of bumper in a Sentence
Adjective
We had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year.
it's been a bumper year for movies aimed at intelligent adults
Noun (2)
cars have bumpers to protect them from damage in minor collisions
Recent Examples on the Web
Robert Ross, Robb Report, 11 July 2025
Sold in various lengths and colors on Amazon from December 2024 to April, the unmarked bumpers are considered suffocation hazards.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Long lines of passengers again are expected to snake through Bay Area airports, and drivers will be getting up close with each other, bumper to bumper.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
The Kia ended up sliding across the road and striking the front bumper of a semi-truck that had been stopped at a red light at the intersection after exiting I-70 onto Madison Avenue, according to police.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bumper
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Noun
By 1974, the model gained new front and rear bumpers designed to meet then-current crash standards, along with many other changes, including a larger 2.7-liter engine.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 11 July 2025
Sold in various lengths and colors on Amazon from December 2024 to April, the unmarked bumpers are considered suffocation hazards.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Long lines of passengers again are expected to snake through Bay Area airports, and drivers will be getting up close with each other, bumper to bumper.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
The Kia ended up sliding across the road and striking the front bumper of a semi-truck that had been stopped at a red light at the intersection after exiting I-70 onto Madison Avenue, according to police.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bumper
Cite this Entry
“Bumper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumper. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bumper
1 of 2 adjective
bum·per
ˈbəm-pər 
: unusually large or fine
a bumper crop
bumper
2 of 2 noun
bump·er
ˈbəm-pər
: a device for absorbing shock or preventing damage (as in collision)
especially
: a bar at the front or back of a motor vehicle
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