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
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
It’s also recommended to go with one that has solid-state storage instead of a hard drive, as a traditional hard drive will greatly bottleneck the performance of the rest of the components.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 July 2025
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
If investor sentiment around AI sours, or if progress stalls owing to technological bottlenecks or supply constraints, equity prices could tumble—and, given the degree of market concentration, such an adjustment would ripple rapidly through broad market indices, affecting millions of investors.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Adjective
Without investment in clean, high-density energy grids and smarter distribution, innovation will bottleneck at the plug.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
It’s also recommended to go with one that has solid-state storage instead of a hard drive, as a traditional hard drive will greatly bottleneck the performance of the rest of the components.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 July 2025
Verb
That’s really what the bottleneck is.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
If investor sentiment around AI sours, or if progress stalls owing to technological bottlenecks or supply constraints, equity prices could tumble—and, given the degree of market concentration, such an adjustment would ripple rapidly through broad market indices, affecting millions of investors.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottleneck
Noun
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His seventh-inning shot settled in the left-center bleachers and crushed the Brewers, who had finally chased him from the mound by getting two runners on in the top of the inning, only to go scoreless anyway when reliever Alex Vesia escaped the jam.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
-
For the first time in the National League Championship Series, a Dodgers starter had to deal with … a jam.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
At several points in 2024, WBD shares slipped below $7 as the company’s massive debt load and linear TV exposure appeared to be insurmountable challenges.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
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Her brain cannot compute — because there’s something so linear about education.—
Nikki McCann Ramirez,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Unlike many other beavers, these specific beavers were willing to dam a flashy urban stream.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
-
But over the years, the river had been dammed upstream, drying it up and killing the fish.—
David Gelles,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
French President Emmanuel Macron in January, unveiled a 10-year plan to fix the cultural institution's outdated infrastructure and ease congestion for visitors.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
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The sales tax funds transit and infrastructure region-wide, helping ease congestion.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Commissioner Gordon, who could be controlled by a second player, had a foam pistol and goo gun that could clog up pipes.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
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With time, the mussels would cling to and clog up surfaces like irrigation pipes and hydroelectric equipment, threatening serious damage to Idaho agriculture and power projects.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Food crumbs and debris can hinder gas flow or cause uneven burning.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Can what’s hindering the Chargers’ defense be fixed in only a matter of days?—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Sturm has repeatedly noted the difficulty of the compressed schedule.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Li, a writer whose stories are compressed and deceptively simple, spoke with humor and a certain hardness, perhaps born of the clarity of unimaginable loss.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But Ayton has skill, a silky jumper, smooth footwork and a giant frame that can block off the paint on the other end.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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After a week of chaos and confusion, as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees described it, the fates of more than 600 workers hang in the balance now that a federal judge has temporarily blocked their terminations.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bottleneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottleneck. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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