✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

speed bump

noun

: a low raised ridge across a roadway (as in a parking lot) to limit vehicle speed

Examples of speed bump in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That got them over the speed bump caused by their midseason slip up. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 30 Nov. 2025 Paladino said Malba residents would like to see traffic circles, speed bumps, and islands placed in the area to prevent incidents like this from happening again. Allen Devlin, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025 That means the best the Red Lions can do is hope to act as a speed bump this weekend and potentially aid Slovakia’s cause in the process. Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025 Those have included the new Dunham Recreation Center in West Price Hill; improved facilities for police, fire and public service staffs; and speed bumps to slow traffic citywide. Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for speed bump

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of speed bump was in 1972

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Speed bump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speed%20bump. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

speed bump

noun
: a low raised ridge across a roadway (as in a parking lot) to limit vehicle speed

More from Merriam-Webster on speed bump

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!