as in jam
a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement
a bottleneck inevitably forms at the start of a construction zone when the highway narrows from three to two lanes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in linear
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in to dam
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bottleneck
Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2026
This is the most significant and high-stakes bottleneck for the commercial adoption of perovskite solar cells (PSCs).
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 11 Dec. 2025
The real-world difference is how snappy everything feels when your storage doesn’t bottleneck your system.
—Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Noun
This freight bottleneck is a thing of the past.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2026
This is the most significant and high-stakes bottleneck for the commercial adoption of perovskite solar cells (PSCs).
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
Verb
The executive order cites a Nov. 21 power outage at the unnamed facility which continues to operate intermittently, which bottlenecks fuel deliveries across the region.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 11 Dec. 2025
The real-world difference is how snappy everything feels when your storage doesn’t bottleneck your system.
—Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottleneck
Noun
-
Right-hander Kyle Hurt escaped a jam in the sixth inning when the Braves put the first two runners aboard, while Will Klein, Brock Stewart and Tanner Scott each followed with a scoreless inning.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
-
If that’s not your culinary jam, the city is also flush with awesome soul food and Delta-style fish restaurants.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
There is no guarantee their rebuild will take a linear upward trajectory.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
-
The company already offers measurement of outcomes and has been working to incorporate those efforts into Nielsen One, the system currently used to determine viewership of TV programs across linear and digital screens.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asked experts to study what happened at the Edenville and Sanford dams.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Then, about 20,000 years ago the Laurentide continental glacier moved into the area, pushing rocks, soil, and other debris, eventually damming Pine Creek and forming an expansive lake.—
Anthony Fredericks,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One goal of the project is to ease congestion.—
Eva Flowe
May 11,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
-
Meth has traditionally been made from ephedrine and pseudoephedrine — substances that can be found in over-the-counter cold medications that address nasal congestion and runny noses, said Terry Church, director of the Institute for Addiction Sciences Education Committee at USC.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
This week, Metro is set to unveil the first part of a nine-mile subway under Wilshire, one of the most dynamic and traffic-clogged stretches of Los Angeles.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Atherosclerosis usually doesn't have symptoms until an artery is significantly clogged or narrowed.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Those struggles from deep, specifically Clark’s, are not going to hinder them all season.—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
-
Officials say that bright sunlight hindering the driver's vision could be a possible contributing factor.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea are global geopolitical events showing up in fabric costs, freight surcharges, and compressed margins.—
Catherine Nekavand,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
-
Faster flight testing The compressed schedule stands out in a major military aviation program.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Those bubbles would block blood vessels, stretch and tear tissue, and trigger clotting and inflammation.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
-
The District of Columbia Council voted to decouple from several provisions of the OBBBA, but Congress passed a resolution to block that move.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bottleneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottleneck. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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