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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to dam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bottleneck
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Indonesian cinema is booming, with local films breaking admissions records last year and on course for even further growth in 2025, but the lack of screens in the country has created a distribution bottleneck, said speakers on a Cannes Marche panel.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 19 May 2025
Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 20 May 2013
To compare pre- and post-bottleneck genetic diversity, the researchers sequenced DNA from 1,000-year-old penguin bones on the island.
—Sarah Zhang, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2012
Conor Feehly, Scientific American, 4 Mar. 2025
Many trade allies and contractors lack the labor needed to meet project demand, causing workforce bottlenecks that impact both urban and rural economies.
—Brynn Cooksey, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Noun
And though there had been fears about road conditions before the race, the first issues only arose with the race back in Italy — an awkward bottleneck on stage four in Lecce.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Indonesian cinema is booming, with local films breaking admissions records last year and on course for even further growth in 2025, but the lack of screens in the country has created a distribution bottleneck, said speakers on a Cannes Marche panel.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 19 May 2025
Adjective
The impact of the pre-bottleneck period is attenuated, because much of the population was simply not genetically sampled.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 20 May 2013
To compare pre- and post-bottleneck genetic diversity, the researchers sequenced DNA from 1,000-year-old penguin bones on the island.
—Sarah Zhang, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2012
Verb
Consequently, relative to other elements concentrations of oxygen would have still been low, potentially bottlenecking water’s ready formation.
—Conor Feehly, Scientific American, 4 Mar. 2025
Many trade allies and contractors lack the labor needed to meet project demand, causing workforce bottlenecks that impact both urban and rural economies.
—Brynn Cooksey, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottleneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottleneck
Noun
-
But Kyle Tucker’s run-scoring single in the fifth put the Cubs ahead again, and Taillon got out of a jam in the sixth, aided by Nico Hoerner nailing a runner at the plate on a fielder’s choice grounder.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
26 May 2025
-
The next blues jam at The Bakery District is set for 1-6 p.m. June 15.—
Monica Hooper,
Arkansas Online,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
The road to success is hardly ever linear, just like Ian’s.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
-
In March, Disney cut just under 200 jobs at ABC News and at its Disney Entertainment Networks division due to economic headwinds facing the linear TV business.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
These results highlight a strange irony: Humans have made the world more stressful for all kinds of animals by, for example, destroying their habitat and damming up rivers.—
Benji Jones,
Vox,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Animal Power, Quantified (Eos) by Carolyn Wilke Beavers damming rivers and termites building earthen mounds aren’t just interesting subjects for nature shows.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The city’s stormwater drains and ditches are often clogged with tree limbs and other vegetative debris, according to residents.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 June 2025
-
The streets of Bangkok are frequently clogged with thousands of motorbikes, and many Thais learn to ride the vehicles from a young age.—
Lydia Mee,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 June 2025
Verb
-
However, incomplete knowledge of prolonged symptoms experienced after a young child’s own SARS-CoV-2 infection hinders prevention and treatment of LC in infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children.—
Anuradha Varanasi,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
He has been charged with a collision involving damage to a vehicle and hindering apprehension, both misdemeanors.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
Avoid using metal objects or compressed air directly into the port.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
-
Coughlin Associates estimates that about 180 Exabytes of compressed, 2.5X native, capacity of magnetic tape was shipped in 2024.—
Thomas Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza blocked and offloaded 77 food trucks, the U.N. World Food Program said, as hunger mounts amid Israel's monthslong blockade of the territory.—
SAM MEDNICK,
Arkansas Online,
1 June 2025
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Four seconds after subbing in for Turner, Bryant blocked a layup attempt by Knicks forward OG Anunoby, which sparked a fast break.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
Verb
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The affair did not impede Smotrich’s ascent as a settler activist and politician.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
30 May 2025
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Any action that impedes these dynamics should be flatly rejected because unnecessarily regulating a competitive marketplace will only harm consumers.—
Michael Santorelli,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bottleneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottleneck. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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