hot rod

noun

: an automobile rebuilt or modified for high speed and fast acceleration

Examples of hot rod in a Sentence

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.
The next round Saturday: Bay City Brewing will host the Midway Marauders Racing Car Show from noon to 5:30 p.m. Expect a fleet of hot rods and race cars, plus giveaways, a raffle and fresh beer. Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025 Some owners of old hot rods, low-riders and other vehicles, simply don’t register them. Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 9 May 2025 Journalism, the reigning hot rod of the Class of 2o25 and a likely Kentucky Derby favorite, overcame considerable trouble mid-race to take what most players had thought was his due, the hundred-point victory in the Santa Anita Derby on April 5. Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025 What started back in the 1980s as a small gathering of gearheads has grown into a premier West Coast car show, drawing pristine hot rods, retro cruisers, and muscle machines from across the country—and even as far as Australia. Cliff Lewis, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hot rod

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hot rod was in 1943

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Cite this Entry

“Hot rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20rod. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

hot rod

noun
: an automobile rebuilt or changed for high speed and fast acceleration

More from Merriam-Webster on hot rod

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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