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chokepoint

American

[chohk-point] / ˈtʃoʊkˌpɔɪnt /

noun

a place of greatest congestion and often hazard; bottleneck.

Etymology

Origin of chokepoint

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Strait of Hormuz long has been known as a crucial energy chokepoint, but the expensive investment needed to bypass the waterway didn’t seem like it was worth the effort.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Tanker owners said on Monday that they would hesitate before sending new vessels through the chokepoint.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

It is also a crucial chokepoint for fertilizers and chemicals like helium, which is used to make semiconductors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Only three ships risked crossing the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday, highlighting the extreme caution about using the key waterway even though both the US and Iran have said the strategic chokepoint would reopen.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

It has established that it can control the key maritime chokepoint, even without a navy and an airforce.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023