clockwork

noun

clock·​work ˈkläk-ˌwərk 

1

: the inner workings of something

2

: the machinery (such as springs and a train of gears) that run a clock

also : a similar mechanism running a mechanical device (such as a toy)

3

: the precision, regularity, or absence of variation associated with a clock or clockwork

a clockwork operation

—used in the phrase like clockwork to describe something that happens or works in a regular and exact way

This type of star has a wonderful property: Its brightness waxes and wanes like clockwork…

—Ron Cowen

If everything went like clockwork, it would have taken a year to get items in stores.

—Brooks Barnes

Examples of clockwork in a Sentence

the clockwork inside a mechanical toy soldier

Recent Examples on the Web

The bottom line is that the warehouses of the future won’t run like clockwork. —Gurdip Singh, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Despite releasing a new edition like clockwork every fall, Activision’s perennial action shooter is guaranteed to top the sales charts and, occasionally, do something surprisingly innovative to rejuvenate its fan base. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2025

Almost like clockwork, the magnificent birds appear for as long as the tree produces its fruit, or until something better somewhere else is yielding its fruit. —Madeleine Beekman august 11, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025

To most people, the nation’s vaccine system feels like a solid, reliable fact of life, doling out shots to children like clockwork. —Patricia Callahan, CNN Money, 18 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for clockwork

• artwork
• beadwork
• berserk
• breastwork
• brickwork
• brushwork
• casework
• classwork
• coursework
• ductwork
• earthwork
• falsework

Kids Definition

clockwork

noun

clock·​work ˈkläk-ˌwərk 

: machinery (as in a mechanical toy) containing a set of small cogwheels