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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of bottlenecks
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2025
Annabelle Huang is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Altius Labs, a blockchain infrastructure company (backed by Founders Fund and Pantera) that focuses on solving execution performance bottlenecks.
—Annabelle Huang, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
This has created bottlenecks for social workers and police officers who often struggle to find spots for people voluntarily asking to get clean.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025
Closing that loop on location reduces dependence on long supply chains and the kinds of shocks ripple through commodity markets when geopolitics or shipping bottlenecks bite.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
Teams may optimize code but ignore database queries, network speed or bottlenecks until issues surface under real-world loads.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
Surveys of developers have consistently found that waiting for quality assurance testing leads to significant bottlenecks in software development.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2025
Annabelle Huang is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Altius Labs, a blockchain infrastructure company (backed by Founders Fund and Pantera) that focuses on solving execution performance bottlenecks.
—Annabelle Huang, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
This has created bottlenecks for social workers and police officers who often struggle to find spots for people voluntarily asking to get clean.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025
Closing that loop on location reduces dependence on long supply chains and the kinds of shocks ripple through commodity markets when geopolitics or shipping bottlenecks bite.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
Teams may optimize code but ignore database queries, network speed or bottlenecks until issues surface under real-world loads.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottlenecks
Noun
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Inside you’ll find fruit jams and pastes from tangy pineapple and strawberry to pumpkin, fig or even custard.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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No hot water baths or pressure canning, the technique uses modern day refrigerators and freezers to store small batches of homemade jams, condiments and spreads, plus chutneys, pickles, relishes and ketchups.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Deep below the surface of the earth, disaster strikes when a rock falls and blocks their route back to the surface.—
Caitlin White,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
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Typically, these formations have porous rock layers overlaid by impermeable rock that blocks upward movement.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The result has been a seemingly endless run of East Washington Street roadwork and traffic snarls from Alabama Street downtown to I-465.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
25 Sep. 2025
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There was talk of traffic snarls and strain on the power grid.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That kind of overload hinders change and makes future efforts more challenging.—
Daniel Schmeltz,
Fortune,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Nevertheless, the lack of efficient electrolytes with fast hydride ion conductivity, thermal stability, and electrode compatibility hinders their practical applications.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Both are highly absorptive, drawing out excess oil that clogs pores and contributes to breakouts.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
30 Sep. 2025
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Instead, defensive tackle Ahmad Moten clogs the hole.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Clematis climbs by wrapping its short leaf stems around support structures and may initially require a string or wire to climb.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
22 Sep. 2025
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Elliott’s relationship with Eschenbach stems back over a decade to his prior role as president and COO of VMware, where Elliott was a very active shareholder.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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If a mental image only impedes the human’s process of emulation, why should her mindedness make Celmins’s web less natural than the spider’s?—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
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Let go of whatever impedes your growth and progress.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Sep. 2025
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Don't tail large vehicles closely - Trucks or buses can kick up a water spray that obstructs visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bottlenecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottlenecks. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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