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
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Recent Examples of bottleneck
David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
In response, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) governments are trying to ease these bottlenecks.
—Eleni Giokos, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Noun
Those who purchased tickets were assigned to start at one of three zones in order to avoid a large bottleneck at the beginning.
—David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
In response, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) governments are trying to ease these bottlenecks.
—Eleni Giokos, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
The real-world difference is how snappy everything feels when your storage doesn’t bottleneck your system.
—Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottleneck
Noun
-
With the bases loaded and one out, Leffew needed three pitches to get Auburn shortstop Brandon McCraine to ground into a double play that got the Longhorns out of the jam.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Some items sold by the brand include jams and honey, tea and wine, candles, chocolate and other similar products.—
Tracy Wright , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Growth and healing are never linear.—
MAGGIE PENMAN THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
-
But with the Royals season around the corner, there is still no word on how to watch the team’s games on cable, satellite or another linear method.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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According to the Lake Garda Improvement Association, in the 1920s Harry Battistoni bought small farms along the Burlington/Farmington border, dammed up a small brook, and created Lake Garda.—
Chris John Amorosino,
Hartford Courant,
13 Mar. 2026
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Tenuously held back by moraines – the jumble of rock and sediment deposited by glaciers at their edges – or dammed by glacier ice, these lakes are anything but stable.—
Dan McGrath,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Officials warned of significant traffic congestion, road closures, and the presence of emergency responders.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The consequences of this project — ranging from water depletion and traffic congestion to permanent environmental degradation — will be borne by those in the immediate vicinity, yet the current system ignores this reality.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Another concern of residents was the condition of the RM 2871 road, a major thoroughfare in the area near the development that residents believe could get clogged up by construction traffic.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
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Round Lab’s Birch Juice Moisturizing UV Lock is a non-greasy, super lightweight chemical sunscreen that won’t clog pores or cause breakouts.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a particularly craven twist, this letter enlisted the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause to halt or hinder affinity programming in schools.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
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State investigators say federal authorities have blocked them from accessing evidence, hindering a possible use-of-force investigation.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The materials were rolled up, compressed, and wrapped in plastic.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
19 Mar. 2026
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Anhydrous ammonia is caustic and must be handled as a compressed gas, but given the high nitrogen content, technology was developed to store and transport so it could be injected into cropland.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Late Thursday night into early Friday morning, residents in several neighborhoods in Havana took to the streets, banging pots and pans and, in some cases, lighting bonfires to block major roads in the capital — a sign of escalating frustration.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
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Another federal judge in Boston on Monday temporarily blocked several of Kennedy's vaccine policy changes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bottleneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottleneck. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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