BOTTLENECKS Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Russia’s satellite industry has long suffered from chronic underfunding, corruption, production bottlenecks, and reliability problems. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026 By using iron and phosphate instead of nickel and cobalt, the LFP batteries solve several issues associated with the battery industry, such as high cost, unethical sourcing, and supply chain bottlenecks. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026 In theory, these bottlenecks could be resolved by the adoption of various national stablecoins—a real stablecoin in Brazil, a Canadian dollar stablecoin in Canada, and so on. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 Aside from building new hubs, India’s government has sought to bolster the country’s air cargo capabilities by removing the mandatory rescreening of transshipment cargo at transit stations to alleviate supply chain bottlenecks. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026 Sure, there are still bottlenecks galore (memory, power, a limited number of fabs). — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, growing backlash against data centers from local communities and ongoing hardware bottlenecks are adding to concerns that investments into the AI infrastructure buildout may soon slow. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 Rapid development in the Steele Creek area has outpaced infrastructure upgrades and caused bottlenecks throughout the day. — Charlotte Observer, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bottlenecks

Noun

Meghan’s As Ever lifestyle company is based in California, and sells products associated with a high-end Californian lifestyle – rosé wine, flower sprinkles and jams, as Boshoff reported.

— Martha Ross, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
The seller of Folgers coffee and Smucker’s jams also raised its forecast for profit over the full year.

— Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of jams

Verb

In the book, when Hig tries to land there, a trip wire almost snags the Cessna and pulls them down to their deaths in a crash.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
Luckily, a wake-up chat with Marshall puts Ted back on track, and the night isn’t a total wash — Ted snags a yellow umbrella from the club and just misses the Mother.

— Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 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

The effect essentially gives Roman a parking spot in space, enabling engineers on Earth to remain in constant contact with the telescope, while making sure Earth never blocks its view of the cosmos.

— Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 30 Aug. 2026
If the teams refuse to enroll the players who benefit from the TRO, those players could petition Hoffman to clarify that his order also blocks the SEC from punishing schools.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of blocks

Verb

The affordability issue stems more from the fact that wages have not kept pace with cost of living increases over those 20 years.

— Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Over time, this can result in long stretches of bare stems closer to the pot as the plant concentrates on developing new growth on the tips of the vines.

— Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bottlenecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bottlenecks. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of bottlenecks

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

matriculate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes