Definitions

speed bump

NOUN

hindrance to speeding

Synonyms

WEAK

Botts' dots silent policeman sleeping policeman

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After months of high growth coupled with cooling prices, India’s “Goldilocks” era faces a new speed bump with the Middle East conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Our call of the day from Bank of America warns of a more cautious year ahead, owing to increasingly stressed consumers and a speed bump headed for AI.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 3, 2025

How dare the guy become a speed bump?

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025

The upshot is that it may not be a smooth ride, but it seems likely that October was little more than a speed bump.

From Barron's • Nov. 11, 2025

The word home jolts me like a speed bump.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi