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 But, befitting the musical comedy, that dream hits some speed bumps, including the interference of Republican lawmakers, fears of being permanently stuck in Fort Worth, Tex. and negative tabloid attention involving an alleged crime. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 Manned by the bipartisan duo of Karen and Kal Silverberg, the polling site saw a similar speed bump to that at Tanglewood Elementary at the start of voting, but the issue was resolved within 20 minutes. Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2024 Especially after the journey and speed bumps that have gotten Sanchez to this point. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2024 However, Estée Lauder hit a speed bump in its most recent third quarter, with sales down 7% to $4.3 billion from $4.6 billion previous year. Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Considering the fits and starts since work began on expansion in 2019 and a 12-team plan was first publicly introduced in 2021, one more speed bump seemed appropriate. Ralph D. Russo and Stephen Hawkins, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 Those wattles act as speed bumps to slow the flow and stem erosion. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2024 But a hotter-than-expected inflation reading on Tuesday acted like a speed bump (at least) for stocks’ rise. Will Daniel, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2024 Progressives could still hold out hope that this development was a mere speed bump on the path to dominance. George Hawley, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speed bump.' 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

1972, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near speed bump

Cite this Entry

“Speed bump.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speed%20bump. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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!