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bottleneck

BOT-ul-nek /ˈbɑːtlnek/

nounverbB2SATIELTSGMAT

generalbusiness

A narrow section of a road, process, or system that slows down the overall flow of movement or progress.

Refers specifically to a focal point of constriction where wide capacity suddenly squeezes into narrow capacity.

The story behind the word. A literal 19th-century metaphor comparing the narrow glass neck of a bottle—which prevents liquids from pouring out all at once—to physical places on roads or production lines where capacity drops sharply.

Word relationships

chokepoint: 'Chokepoint' carries military or strategic connotations, whereas 'bottleneck' is standard for general traffic and business operations.
constriction: 'Constriction' refers to physical narrowing in biological or mechanical contexts.

outlet: An opening or passage through which movement can flow freely.

Commonly confused with

gridlock: A 'bottleneck' is the physical squeeze point; 'gridlock' is the total system-wide failure that may result from it.

Word family

bottlenecked (adjective): Constricted or slowed down by a narrow passage.

Collocations

bottleneck effect
create a bottleneck
eliminate a bottleneck
traffic bottleneck

Idioms & expressions

choke point (a strategic narrow pass or bottleneck)

Example sentences

"The reduction of the four-lane highway into a two-lane bridge created a frustrating daily bottleneck." Highway lane reduction
"Customs inspection at the port proved to be the primary bottleneck in the supply chain." Operations management

Memory hook

Picture liquid trying to rush out of a narrow bottle neck—it gets trapped and trickles slow. Wide road meets narrow neck.

When not to use

Do not use when describing uniform slowness along an entire road with no specific narrow point.

Fun facts

In evolutionary biology, a 'population bottleneck' refers to a sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events, reducing genetic diversity.