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
Shane Connuck
october 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2025
In Tucson, large crowds of protesters took part in a Motor March from their vehicles that lined Reid Park bumper to bumper.
—Michelle Cruz, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Zam Studios’ additional credits include the Smiling Friends shorts, Smiling Symphonies, Billy Idol Should Be Dead documentary, and bumpers for Rick & Morty and Adult Swim.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
Week 1 cracked the passport open with a bumper in Brazil; this second overseas game of 2025 has similar star magnetism, as Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are set to face Justin Jefferson’s Minnesota Vikings.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bumper
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Noun
Ben Rhodes, the two-time series champion, crashed into the wall on Lap 3 with heavy contact as his back bumper got into the tire barrier, bringing out the first caution — and only natural one until the final laps of regulation — of the race.
—Shane Connuck
october 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2025
In Tucson, large crowds of protesters took part in a Motor March from their vehicles that lined Reid Park bumper to bumper.
—Michelle Cruz, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Zam Studios’ additional credits include the Smiling Friends shorts, Smiling Symphonies, Billy Idol Should Be Dead documentary, and bumpers for Rick & Morty and Adult Swim.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
Week 1 cracked the passport open with a bumper in Brazil; this second overseas game of 2025 has similar star magnetism, as Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are set to face Justin Jefferson’s Minnesota Vikings.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 28 Sep. 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 10 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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