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

Diego Pavia’s professional football career hit an early speed bump as the former Vanderbilt quarterback was waived by the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday ahead of training camp. — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 25 July 2026

The Farm Recovery and Support Block Grant program hit a number of speed bumps since Congress enacted it in late 2024. — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026

One of the biggest speed bumps to wider electric-car adoption is the challenge of where to recharge. — Tim Levin, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026

But compared to the Kospi 27% crash, the S&P 500’s 2% dip from its recent high and the Nasdaq’s 6% slide look like speed bumps. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 18 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for speed bump

• chump
• clump
• crump
• dump
• gump
• hump
• jump
• lump
• plump
• pump
• rump
• slump

Kids Definition

speed bump

noun

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