Fender Bender Definition & Meaning

Definition

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms fender bender American Or fender-bender

noun

Informal.

1. a collision between motor vehicles in which there is only minor damage.

Etymology

Origin of fender bender

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

Some little boy is thinking about a fender bender his mom was in, and remembering it makes him scared all over again.

From Literature

The damage included shooting down one of our own fighter jets and a carrier fender bender with a civilian ship.

From The Wall Street Journal

A fender bender that would be a simple fix on a traditional vehicle could require an expensive and lengthy repair on an EV to mend the battery and recalibrate the car and its sensors.

From Los Angeles Times

About a month ago, rafters and kayakers were jetting through popular rapids here with names including Black Bottom Falls, Squashed Paddler and Fender Bender.

From Los Angeles Times

What may have once been a simple fender bender has “turned into a major claim,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.