bottleneck 1 of 3

noun

Definition of bottlenecknext
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

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bottleneck

2 of 3

adjective

as in linear

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

bottleneck

3 of 3

verb

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
Noun
Diesel fuel has been setting nominal record highs – an aftereffect of rising global oil prices as well as a supply bottleneck from refineries damaged by the wars in Ukraine and Iran. — Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 To cut the flow would only add to the bottlenecks that the wars have created. — Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
The demand for slots skyrocketed and the auction prices ballooned in recent weeks as a standoff between the Iran and the United States over access to the strait kept traffic bottlenecked. — Alma Solís, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026 Yet, sparse computations on the CPU are often bottlenecked by the indirect lookups used to find nonzero data. — Olivia Hsu, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottleneck
  1. jam
  2. linear
  3. dam
  4. congestion
  5. compressed
  6. clog
  7. tight
  8. hinder
Noun
  • Despite this informal, jam-forward approach, however, Silk Fence appear to be chasing something; an understated but steady coherence gives direction to even their most wandering moments.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Last month, at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Western North Carolina, MGU rolled through an hour-long set of new material from Appalachian Smoke and intricate improvisational jams.
    — Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of jam
Adjective
  • In his current post, Cheeks oversees all linear Paramount networks, including CBS (entertainment, sports and news), MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and BET.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026
  • There’s a smoother, more linear power delivery when pulling away.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of linear
Verb
  • Then dams and expanding farmlands dried it up and turned it into a patchwork of fields, roads and towns.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Mormon Flat, which dams Canyon Lake, was constructed in 1925, and is one of SRP’s oldest dams.
    — Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of dam
Noun
  • Crowd congestion is certainly common around these parts, but can be escaped pretty easily and avoided entirely if guests make use of their location to visit these sites early in the morning.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Where is aisle congestion forming before an incident report is ever filed?
    — Allan Malcolm, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of congestion
Adjective
  • The couple had purchased their extra-wide, 3,600-square-foot house after realizing their initial dream, a historic brownstone, felt a little too compressed.
    — Keith Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Digging into the character was all the more challenging for both Pitt and Ayer given the compressed pre-production schedule and swift shoot, which required them to hit the ground running.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of compressed
Verb
  • At the time, gasoline lines clogged traffic across the capital.
    — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • For more instant results, salicylic acid completes the trio by exfoliating away dead surface cells and pore-clogging buildup, helping refine the look of large pores standing between you and that aforementioned glassy glow.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of clog
Adjective
  • Every dollar poured in weaves the technology’s success and the US economy tighter and tighter together.
    — Yerbol Orynbayev, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Similar tensions are emerging in South Korea, with growing opposition to data centers near residential areas and proposals for tighter local restrictions, even as the national government pushes to accelerate development.
    — April Roach,Jenny Lee, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of tight
Verb
  • The chair of Fayette County Democrats, Tracy Wilson, said the Uniontown Police Department is already short-staffed and underfunded and believes the program could hinder officers from answering calls.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Celebrity guests accompany the contestants, ideally helping and not hindering them, to an all-or-nothing final, where one test decides everything, including the true identity of the player.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of hinder

Browse Nearby Words

bottle-feeds
bottleneck
bottlenecked
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Cite this Entry

“Bottleneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottleneck. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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