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traffic light

noun

: a visual signal (such as a system of colored lights) for controlling traffic

Examples of traffic light in a Sentence

Take a left at the traffic light.
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.
Holt recalled seeing Proctor’s car on numerous occasions near her home and at sets of traffic lights. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 28 Nov. 2025 Adler and his fiancé were traveling to a family Thanksgiving in Littleton and were stopped at a traffic light westbound on Yale. Alan Gionet, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2025 According to the Cape Coral Police Department, officers arrested Luis Alania Estrella, 25, after he was reported unconscious at a traffic light, then proceeded to deliver his DoorDash order for him. Mason Leath, ABC News, 24 Nov. 2025 More than once, Piña has been caught sitting on his couch in his underwear, writing scripts on his laptop, as Hollywood tour buses stop at the traffic light outside. Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for traffic light

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of traffic light was in 1912

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Traffic light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic%20light. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

traffic light

noun
: a visual signal (as a system of green, yellow, and red lights) for controlling traffic

More from Merriam-Webster on traffic light

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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