bottleneck
Say it: BOT-ul-nek /ˈbɑtəlnɛk/ · noun
What “bottleneck” means
One slow point that holds up the whole process.
More precisely: A point of congestion that slows down a whole process.
Example: “Approvals from legal are our biggest bottleneck.”
When to use it
At work, when identifying the stage that limits how quickly everything else can move. It is a common, vivid term.
Memory trick
A bottle's narrow neck limits how quickly its contents can pour out.
Similar words
holdup, constraint, choke point
Quick check
Packed orders pile up because the only printer produces delivery labels very slowly. What is the printer in this process?
a bottleneck or a backlog?
Show the answer
a bottleneck
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