act as a bottleneck

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "act as a bottleneck" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use this phrase to describe a situation where something is preventing progress or progress is slow. For example, "The inefficient customer service department acted as a bottleneck, preventing the store from meeting its sales goals."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

The project is intended to relieve the burden on the century-old tunnels that act as a bottleneck for trains traveling in and out of Midtown.

The New York Times

As a drawback, resource sharing may limit the backhaul capacity, introduce latency and act as a bottleneck when neighbouring small cell BSs sharing the same PoP, are fully loaded and carry high throughputs.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

It is found that a bus stop near an intersection can act as a bottleneck and cause a drop in the capacity when the LB (or LD) is below a critical point LBc1 or LBc1 or

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications

A scalable monitoring system is one which lacks components which act as a bottleneck, single points of failure and supports component auto detection, frequent membership change, distributed configuration and management, or other features that allow a system to adapt to elasticity.

Journal of Cloud Computing

The base is expected to act as a bottleneck for transmission since highly concave tapered waveguides have been found to exhibit higher propagation loss based on numerical studies [ 37]; in the case of the optrodes, the small input beams and the short base section prevents the huge loss.

Biomedical Optics Express

In hippocampal and cortical neurons, the dominant effect that Kv2 channels exert on conduction is assisted by their specific localisation in the axon initial segment, where they act as a bottleneck low-pass filter to control AP output (Hwang et al., 1993; Sarmiere et al., 2008).

Experimental Neurology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

The skills shortage acts as a bottleneck, restricting the amount of funding that can be released because projects cannot be implemented without the experts to manage, design or maintain them.

The Guardian

Drivers of London's black cabs must learn the city's streets by heart but these tests can now take four years to complete (in 1960 it took up to a year), which acts as a bottleneck to new supply.

The Economist

Over the next half-century, America will be forced to re-examine its free-trade views, especially in the area of intellectual-property rights.An open and shut caseThe paradox about intellectual property in IT and telecommunications is that it eases the exchange of technology and acts as a bottleneck for innovation at the same time.

The Economist

Evacuation experiments of pedestrians passing through a corridor, which acts as a bottleneck, are conducted in this study.

Fire Safety Journal

As it stands, the storage and processing of genomics data adds a significant extra cost and acts as a bottleneck for how fast data can be worked with.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "act as a bottleneck", clearly identify what specific process or system is being slowed down or restricted. This adds clarity and impact to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "act as a bottleneck" as a generic term for any problem. Be specific about how something is creating a restriction or delay, instead of just labeling it as a bottleneck.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "act as a bottleneck" functions as a verb phrase, indicating that something is performing the role of a restriction or impediment. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is grammatically correct and can be used to describe situations that are preventing progress or causing delays.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

38%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

13%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "act as a bottleneck" is a grammatically sound and useful expression for describing something that restricts or slows down progress. According to Ludwig AI, it's correct to use in written English. Although not extremely common, it appears most frequently in scientific and news contexts. When using this phrase, ensure that you clearly specify what is being restricted. Remember that clarity and specificity are key to effective communication. Alternatives such as "impede progress" or "restrict throughput" can also be used depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

impede progress

This alternative focuses on the general slowing down or obstruction of advancement.

hinder advancement

Similar to impeding progress, this highlights the obstruction of forward movement or development.

obstruct flow

This emphasizes the blockage of movement or passage, similar to a physical bottleneck.

restrict throughput

This suggests a limit on the amount of material or data that can pass through a system.

constrain capacity

Highlights limitations on the ability to accommodate or process something.

inhibit efficiency

This focuses on the reduction of effectiveness or productivity.

serve as an impediment

Uses a more formal term for obstacle or hindrance.

form a constraint

Focuses on the limiting nature of something, restricting freedom or action.

present an obstacle

This highlights the presence of a barrier that must be overcome.

create a logjam

This emphasizes a situation where progress is stalled due to an accumulation of things.

FAQs

How can I use "act as a bottleneck" in a sentence?

You can use "act as a bottleneck" to describe something that is slowing down a process or limiting progress. For example, "The outdated software system "acted as a bottleneck", preventing efficient data processing".

What are some alternatives to saying "act as a bottleneck"?

Some alternatives include "impede progress", "hinder advancement", or "restrict throughput", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "acts as a bottleneck" or "act as a bottleneck"?

The correct form depends on the subject. Use "acts" for singular subjects (e.g., "The process acts as a bottleneck") and "act" for plural subjects (e.g., "These factors act as a bottleneck").

What does it mean for something to "act as a bottleneck"?

When something "acts as a bottleneck", it means that it restricts the flow or progress of something else, creating a point of congestion or limitation. It is "akin to" the narrow part of a bottle that slows down the pouring process.