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
Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 21 Oct. 2025
In simple terms, a Whipple Shield is a sacrificial bumper on a satellite, usually made of aluminum, that absorbs the initial impact.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2025
The car is not the Camaro in most other respects, too, with the interior getting a bespoke redesign, the body panels changed, the bumpers changed, the front grille reworked, and the headlights and tail lights updated, too.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2025
My car has a 26-inch light bar on the bumper … even my RV has a 52-inch Nilight light bar mounted to it.
—Joe Salas
october 09, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bumper
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Noun
His car sat abandoned on an I-65 off-ramp miles away from the crash site, King's motorcycle still tangled with the front bumper.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 21 Oct. 2025
In simple terms, a Whipple Shield is a sacrificial bumper on a satellite, usually made of aluminum, that absorbs the initial impact.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2025
The car is not the Camaro in most other respects, too, with the interior getting a bespoke redesign, the body panels changed, the bumpers changed, the front grille reworked, and the headlights and tail lights updated, too.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2025
My car has a 26-inch light bar on the bumper … even my RV has a 52-inch Nilight light bar mounted to it.
—Joe Salas
october 09, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 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 22 Oct. 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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