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.
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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
Without investment in clean, high-density energy grids and smarter distribution, innovation will bottleneck at the plug.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 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
Without investment in clean, high-density energy grids and smarter distribution, innovation will bottleneck at the plug.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 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
-
And all of that offers a certain salvation, a shelter of sorts from the unjustly brief and linear time we are given.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
However, all that premium content might not be enough to resolve the fundamental problems with the business models of legacy media companies like Paramount — namely, that linear broadcast and cable channels still account for as much as 80% of Paramount’s annual revenues.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
4 Nov. 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
-
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
-
The priciest six hours a year — when transmission lines are clogged as Hoosiers race to warm up on chilly mornings or cool off on hot summer evenings — comprise almost a third of the cooperative’s total costs.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
4 Nov. 2025
-
First off, leaf litter can clog storm drains.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Yet, challenges such as battery weight, regulation, safety, and scalability still hinder most projects.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Did the leaks hinder your creative approach to making music?—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
And the compressed timeframe of the story ticks down to a hugely satisfying climactic encounter in the mountains.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Timber Stoves uses wood pellets, an inch-long renewable biofuel made from compressed wood fiber.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Violence has intensified, humanitarian aid remains blocked, and political prisoners, including my mother, remain behind bars.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
-
And most seniors have been blocked from accessing the drugs, because Medicare is legally barred from covering weight-loss drugs.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bottleneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottleneck. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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