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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bottleneck
Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Nov. 2025
Altman and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang now call energy the key bottleneck.
—Harry Booth, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
The directive calls on the Department of Transportation to simplify how launch and reentry approvals are handled, with a focus on shortening environmental reviews that have bottlenecked rocket development schedules in the past.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Noun
Luigi Avantaggiato Today, curation and annotation are time-consuming processes, regarded as major bottlenecks to the rapid progress that the Earth BioGenome Project desperately needs to reach its 2035 goal.
—Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Nov. 2025
Altman and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang now call energy the key bottleneck.
—Harry Booth, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
Given their constraints, the most plausible near-term roles are simple, repetitive, or hazardous tasks in structured spaces, moving totes, staging parts, and monitoring routine operations, where their slower pace or limited dexterity won’t bottleneck the entire line.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
The directive calls on the Department of Transportation to simplify how launch and reentry approvals are handled, with a focus on shortening environmental reviews that have bottlenecked rocket development schedules in the past.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottleneck
Noun
-
These traditional Jewish desserts are made with a simple shortbread dough and filled with your favorite fruit jam.—
Lizzy Briskin,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Markle's orange marmalade, strawberry jam and raspberry jam are included in the set.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
One of the great things about this class is that nobody’s path has been entirely linear.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Traditional television, meanwhile, is forecast to decline by a cumulative $8 billion as linear advertising and pay-TV subscriptions continue to erode.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The more Austinites have expanded the surface area of lakes — by damming up the Colorado River with various degrees of success from 1893 to 1960 — the more moisture was available to evaporate into the air.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Jan. 2026
-
But a combination of river damming, habitat destruction, overfishing and pollution has caused numbers of the southern residents’ preferred prey, Chinook salmon, to plummet since the 1980s.—
Kelso Harper,
Scientific American,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Over the last century, research has repeatedly shown that that building new roads or new lanes encourages more people to drive, and therefore does not relieve congestion in the long-term.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
In 2021, Skoog just barely won his bid for mayor — by just over 700 votes — against a conservative candidate who ran on a platform opposing high-rise apartment buildings and congestion.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Puncerelli explains that lightweight, non-comedogenic oils can help replenish moisture without clogging hair follicles or weighing hair down.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
8 Jan. 2026
-
After all, nothing can clog up matters like that.—
Glae Thien,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Normally, scent voices are mere whispers compared to the screams and angry shouts of humans, but in that section, certain sensitive plant species shrieked incessantly because of their proximity to plants that hindered their growth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Among the factors hindering higher youth participation, CIRCLE research shows, include confusing registration deadlines and requirements, a lack of youth outreach and a dearth of regular curriculum that teaches young people about elections and voting in school.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
One of the clearest signals of a shifting industry is how quickly vertical drama went from being China’s wacky, hyper-compressed format to a growing ecosystem with dedicated platforms, outside investment, and education pipelines.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
29 Dec. 2025
-
Auxetic materials grow thicker when stretched and thinner when compressed.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In the 47-second video, the agent can be seen walking around Good’s maroon Honda Pilot, which is in the middle of the street blocking traffic.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bottleneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottleneck. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share