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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Recent Examples of bottlenecks
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 23 Apr. 2026
Producing more oil does not eliminate volatility if economies remain tied to global pricing mechanisms and physical bottlenecks that constrain supply movement.
—Tenzin Seldon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Games like Space Engineers and Surviving Mars also do a great job of simulating energy bottlenecks; one of the major challenges of powering a real moon base isn't so much generating enough power as delivering it efficiently and reliably.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026
When bottlenecks occur, especially if there are multiple failure points, failures can cascade through the system.
—Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
Access to power is becoming one of the biggest bottlenecks in the AI industry, and nuclear makes a lot of sense to us as a round-the-clock, clean source of power.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Precision work like this can easily slow things down or create bottlenecks.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Despite the extra fees and runway bottlenecks, the allure of witnessing the world’s most popular sporting contests shows no signs of waning.
—Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2026
Later, the host dons a hard hat to tour a multi-billion-dollar, decades-long project that will ease freight and passenger train bottlenecks with new bridges and underpasses.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
Every Gothic cathedral is the product of ideas that altered over generations, ambitions abandoned or superseded, compromises with ballooning budgets, labor shortages, or bottlenecks in the supply chain from quarries and forests and mines.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 23 Apr. 2026
Producing more oil does not eliminate volatility if economies remain tied to global pricing mechanisms and physical bottlenecks that constrain supply movement.
—Tenzin Seldon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Games like Space Engineers and Surviving Mars also do a great job of simulating energy bottlenecks; one of the major challenges of powering a real moon base isn't so much generating enough power as delivering it efficiently and reliably.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026
When bottlenecks occur, especially if there are multiple failure points, failures can cascade through the system.
—Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026
Access to power is becoming one of the biggest bottlenecks in the AI industry, and nuclear makes a lot of sense to us as a round-the-clock, clean source of power.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2026
Precision work like this can easily slow things down or create bottlenecks.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Despite the extra fees and runway bottlenecks, the allure of witnessing the world’s most popular sporting contests shows no signs of waning.
—Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2026
Later, the host dons a hard hat to tour a multi-billion-dollar, decades-long project that will ease freight and passenger train bottlenecks with new bridges and underpasses.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottlenecks
Noun
-
The outing wasn’t free of some jams, but Wright worked out of them with poise.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Arndt allowed baserunners in each of the first five innings but wiggled out of most of the jams.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One cat steals the spotlight and another snags it right back.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Irvine office campus snags $32 million The office campus Centerstone Plaza sold in mid-January for $32 million.—
Samantha Gowen,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
First, Detroit has centers ahead of him in Larkin, Copp and potentially Kasper next season, with Nate Danielson on the way as well, which either complicates Compher’s path to high-lineup playing time or blocks one of the young players.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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That put the company strategically on track to potentially go public in the final quarter of 2026—following an $852 billion valuation—unless Musk’s lawsuit blocks the move.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Visiting is free, and public transit is recommended due to the traffic snarls along the National Mall (especially on the weekend).—
Adele Chapin,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Apr. 2026
-
As Ross, Martin’s friend and confidante, Kevin Singer has the insinuating righteousness of a slinky cat, his line readings all mews and snarls.—
Steven Winn,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The anti-caking coating that prevents cheese from sticking together also hinders cheese from blending or melting into other foods with ease.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Conversely, destructive energy hinders performance, breeds resentment, and stifles innovation.—
Rebecca Ahmed,
Big Think,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At the conservancy’s Rosemont Preserve, volunteers have essentially removed all invasive castor bean, arundo (which clogs streams) and tree tobacco, which crowd out native plants and harm the landscape.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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Although convenient, dryer sheets can leave a residue that clogs the lint trap and contributes to buildup.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Removing all parts of the roots and stems is important to prevent regrowth.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
-
This is because squash plants produce prickly leaves and stems that rabbits dislike.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Let go of whatever impedes your growth.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The weir prohibits the flow of saltwater into the lagoon and impedes the draining of sediment from the lagoon into the ocean.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bottlenecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottlenecks. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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