1
: a brimming cup or glass
2
: something unusually large
1
: unusually large
a bumper crop
2
1
: a device for absorbing shock or preventing damage (as in collision)
specifically
: a bar at either end of an automobile
2
: one that bumps
3
: a brief interval on radio or television filled with music, video shots, or voice-overs that marks a break between a program and a commercial
Synonyms of bumper
Examples of bumper in a Sentence
Adjective
We had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year.
it's been a bumper year for movies aimed at intelligent adults
Noun (2)
cars have bumpers to protect them from damage in minor collisions
Recent Examples on the Web
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 May 2026
Another factor is the league preparing for a bumper-crop of high-level talent declaring for this year’s draft.
—ABC News, 19 May 2026
Bumper-to-bumper traffic continued to line the surrounding streets, and scores of people were turned away empty-handed.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
One of this franchise’s calling cards in the early days was an extensive selection of bumpers, skirts, hoods, and spoilers for every vehicle, but Playground has seemingly poured more attention into extreme-yet-static Forza Edition cars rather than swappable cosmetics.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bumper
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.
Noun
These technologies get utterly confused by the transition from a matte brick wall to a shiny metallic bumper, or from dull tissue to glistening bodily fluids.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 May 2026
Another factor is the league preparing for a bumper-crop of high-level talent declaring for this year’s draft.
—ABC News, 19 May 2026
Bumper-to-bumper traffic continued to line the surrounding streets, and scores of people were turned away empty-handed.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
One of this franchise’s calling cards in the early days was an extensive selection of bumpers, skirts, hoods, and spoilers for every vehicle, but Playground has seemingly poured more attention into extreme-yet-static Forza Edition cars rather than swappable cosmetics.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bumper
Cite this Entry
“Bumper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bumper. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bumper
1 of 2 adjective
bum·per
ˈbəm-pər 
: unusually large or fine
a bumper crop
bumper
2 of 2 noun
bump·er
ˈbəm-pər
: a device for absorbing shock or preventing damage (as in collision)
especially
: a bar at the front or back of a motor vehicle
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
