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
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bottleneck
Billy Perrigo, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025
Fragmented infrastructure can delay deployment, inflate costs and bottleneck the flow of insights, rendering agentic AI ineffective or incomplete.
—Sahar Hashmi, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Billy Perrigo, Time, 1 July 2025
Wi-Fi bottleneck Feld said the 6 GHz Wi-Fi spectrum would be a likely target because deployments in the band are just starting.
—ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Adjective
Currently, experts say, AI’s performance is bottlenecked by these two factors, especially power capacity.
—Billy Perrigo, TIME, 22 Jan. 2025
Fragmented infrastructure can delay deployment, inflate costs and bottleneck the flow of insights, rendering agentic AI ineffective or incomplete.
—Sahar Hashmi, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Verb
Safety experts have long viewed the difficulty of this troubleshooting process as a significant bottleneck on the ability of terrorist groups to create a bioweapon, says Seth Donoughe, a co-author of the study.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 1 July 2025
Wi-Fi bottleneck Feld said the 6 GHz Wi-Fi spectrum would be a likely target because deployments in the band are just starting.
—ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottleneck
Noun
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Amanda Edwards/WireImage Unlike luxury fashion or high-end accessories, where scarcity is often a deliberate strategy to generate buzz, products like jam and wine fall into the realm of everyday indulgences.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
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Bison jams are not uncommon in Yellowstone, given that the national park has ranged from a population of 3,500 to nearly 6,000 of the animals, according to the National Park Service.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Rethink The Funnel: Trust The Educated Buyer Traditional sales funnels are linear.—
Leonard Cercone,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
In addition to interviews with a slew of famous celebrities, from Lucille Ball and Gilda Radner to Mel Brooks and Muhammad Ali, several of the episodes being added will also include their original musical performances — a rarity with classic talk and variety shows on streaming or even linear TV.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
26 June 2025
Verb
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The Santa Ana River was temporarily dammed once in 1996 for a jet ski competition.—
Michael Slaten,
Oc Register,
23 June 2025
-
To solve it, the canal authority has now landed on a plan to dam the nearby Río Indio to create a new reservoir.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The employee restroom lacked paper towels, the sink was clogged and the soap dispenser was on the floor.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
27 June 2025
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Yes, but at least Dr.B doesn’t clog up my inbox by sending emails every other day.—
Emily Cegielski,
Flow Space,
27 June 2025
Verb
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This extensive list of options ensures your absence doesn’t hinder your ability to accrue and use your FSA benefits, reflecting a broader understanding of how adaptable life situations and financial planning must be.—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr,
USA Today,
2 July 2025
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In addition to drying out the atmosphere, the dust also increases wind shear and atmospheric stability — two other key factors that can hinder storm formation.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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As our mattress reviewers can attest, the free white-glove delivery process is smooth and won’t leave you lugging a compressed mattress up the stairs.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
3 July 2025
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Canisters of compressed nitrous oxide work in the same way.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
2 July 2025
Verb
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At the agency, Trainor has muscled support to block Democrats from weaponizing the FEC against Trump and Republicans.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
7 July 2025
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As a result, the department has blocked student loan forgiveness under these plans.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Will this impede efforts to advance gender equality, especially in technology sectors?—
Lauren Buitta,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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But some of the worst economic effects will be felt by future generations, who, according to one Gen Zer interviewed by CNBC, are already concerned the deficit will impede their ability to collect social services.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bottleneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottleneck. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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