chokepoint

[chohk-point]

noun

1. a place of greatest congestion and often hazard; bottleneck.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chokepoint¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Iranian forces regularly target tankers illegally transporting fuel in the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

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As temperatures rise, multiyear ice in the northern Arctic is released southward, where it creates chokepoints in the Northwest Passage.

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“The human was only involved in a few critical chokepoints, saying, ‘Yes, continue,’ ‘Don’t continue,’ ‘Thank you for this information,’ ‘Oh, that doesn’t look right, Claude, are you sure?’

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Beijing systematically identified perceived “chokepoints”—that is, sectors where it was reliant on the U.S.-led West—and worked to disarm Washington’s points of leverage.

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Those include electric-vehicle batteries, artificial-intelligence servers, wind turbines and jet fighters — and Beijing “knows this chokepoint gives it short-term bargaining power.”

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