lockstep

noun

lock·​step ˈläk-ˌstep 

often attributive

1

: a mode of marching in step by a body of persons going one after another as closely as possible

2

: a standard method or procedure that is mindlessly adhered to or that minimizes individuality

Phrases

in lockstep

: in perfect or rigid often mindless conformity or unison

politicians marching in lockstep with the party line

Synonyms

• drill
• grind
• groove
• pattern
• rote
• routine
• rut
• treadmill

Examples of lockstep in a Sentence

followed the lockstep that had been in his family for generations: prep school, Ivy League university, job on Wall Street

Recent Examples on the Web

Since then, these contests have been mostly in lockstep. —Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2024

Suddenly, the mayor and the council majority, both elected with the heavy political backing of the city’s most-powerful labor unions, were in lockstep. —East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 12 Oct. 2024

Over the last 5 years, the yields on 10 year Treasury bonds moved in lockstep with Federal Reserve interest rate targets. —George Calhoun, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024

The company and the live-music industry grew in lockstep through the aughts; as record sales plummeted due to rampant piracy in the digital age, artists turned to touring to make up the losses. —Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lockstep

noun

lock·​step -ˌstep 

: a way of marching in step in which the marchers are very close one behind the other