rush hour

noun

: a period of the day when the demands especially of traffic or business are at a peak

Examples of rush hour in a Sentence

We got caught in the morning rush hour.
Recent Examples on the Web Even on weekdays, roads to scenic aspen byways nearest the Front Range have become nearly as congested as Denver city streets during rush hour. Krista Kafer, The Denver Post, 3 Oct. 2024 Imagine trying to drive through a city during rush hour. Ayush Gupta, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 This spring, a pending congestion-pricing plan, which would have charged car drivers fifteen dollars during rush hour to drive below Sixtieth Street, became an object of ire for suburban New Yorkers. Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024 Friday’s airstrike — the deadliest such attack on a neighborhood of Beirut since Israel and Hezbollah fought a bloody, monthlong war in 2006 — hit during rush hour, as people were leaving work and children heading home from school. Julia Frankel, Twin Cities, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rush hour 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rush hour.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rush hour was in 1878

Dictionary Entries Near rush hour

Cite this Entry

“Rush hour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rush%20hour. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

rush hour

noun
: a period of the day when traffic is very heavy or business is very brisk
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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