bottlenecks 1 of 2

noun

plural of bottleneck
as in jams
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

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bottlenecks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bottleneck
as in snags

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 bottlenecks
Noun
Altman’s magic email address OpenAI is seeking to clear internal bottlenecks with an email address that lands in the inboxes of the company’s leadership team. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026 That could worsen global shipping bottlenecks and raise transportation costs. — CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026 Many enterprise and government AI bottlenecks are not purely algorithmic problems. — William Jones, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 Others believe that bottlenecks such as scarce computing power and data will prevent an explosive takeoff. — Harry Booth, Time, 7 Aug. 2026 Before modernization, a global beverage distributor, a big-box retailer and a global retail and manufacturing corporation faced identical bottlenecks beneath the surface. — Naresh Sigamani, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 The city learned about evacuation bottlenecks, the types of warnings and directions that were most effective and other challenges. — Ashley Bosa, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026 The signals successfully navigated sharp turns and narrow bottlenecks without reflecting backward or leaking into neighboring channels. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottlenecks
  1. jams
  2. snags
  3. snarls
  4. blocks
  5. hinders
  6. clogs
  7. stems
  8. impedes
Noun
  • But this film’s logic lies in the edit, starting and ending with a stop-start stutter motif that jars us into this world of a small Oklahoma town, where a bluegrass band jams in a restaurant parking lot.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Satellite navigation can fail when an adversary jams GPS or China’s BeiDou system.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of jams
Verb
  • However, the key to this marketplace are the live auctions that generate the FOMO feeling that snags more impulse buys.
    — Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2026
  • Luke Evans snags a quick puppy peck atop the Empire State Building while visiting in partnership with the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative and the Trevor Project for New York City Pride on June 26.
    — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026
Definition of snags
Noun
  • The wildly popular Instagram page was offline for a hot minute, leaving the general pop pining for videos on the myriad zany happenings in our city, from traffic snarls and celebrity shenanigans to animal encounters and fights outside the club.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • The state Department of Transportation is scheduled to install temporary three-way stop signs at the intersections during a road project that’s already created mind-numbing traffic snarls and angry and confused drivers.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
Definition of snarls
Verb
  • Webb’s infrared vision is particularly useful here because infrared light can penetrate dust that blocks much of the visible light, giving astronomers a better look at the processes taking place inside stellar nurseries.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Seminole blocks a Lake Nona 39-yard field goal attempt and Joseph Watson IV grabs the ball and takes it to the house for the go-ahead score.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of blocks
Verb
  • Ultimately, glorifying sleep deprivation is counterproductive; prioritizing sleep is key for career longevity and productivity, while chronic insomnia leads to impaired judgment and hinders professional growth.
    — Mena Mirhom, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Neptune retrograde hinders our intuition, leaving us lost in the fog.
    — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 15 July 2026
Definition of hinders
Verb
  • The fine powder clogs their digestive systems and prevents them from eating plants.
    — Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Their active roster is predominantly right-handed, which clogs up some of the lineup decisions for Roberts.
    — Katie Woo, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of clogs
Verb
  • Summary Productivity expert Neal Schore challenges conventional wisdom, arguing that true time loss stems not from poor planning but from internal factors like fear, overthinking, and emotional habits.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Bresnahan’s passion for education stems back to her childhood.
    — Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of stems
Verb
  • Typically, PAs are putting in 60-hour workweeks, and their duties can include everything from running errands to cleaning up messes to managing the general public when filming takes place in a location and impedes foot or car traffic.
    — Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Contempt of Congress is a federal misdemeanor in which an individual willfully disobeys or impedes a congressional investigation.
    — Connor Greene, Time, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of impedes

Browse Nearby Words

bottlenecking
bottlenecks
bottles
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Cite this Entry

“Bottlenecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottlenecks. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of bottlenecks for Spanish Speakers

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