clockwork

noun

clock·​work ˈkläk-ˌwərk How to pronounce clockwork (audio)
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 clockworkRon 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Just like clockwork, whenever the prices creep too low below $3, BAM – all the stations for miles immediately jump up to $3.19. Ticked Off, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2025 Well, like clockwork, on January 10, NBC announced that the Club Chalamet muse will be hosting the sketch show on January 25. Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2025 For Berg, the pressure was exciting, especially since his crew pulled the sequence off like clockwork. Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 10 Jan. 2025 Perhaps also like clockwork, the atmosphere and energy began to shift right around 5 p.m., as the uptown workweek unofficially ended. Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 8 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for clockwork 

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clockwork was in 1628

Dictionary Entries Near clockwork

Cite this Entry

“Clockwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clockwork. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

clockwork

noun
clock·​work ˈkläk-ˌwərk How to pronounce clockwork (audio)
: machinery (as in a mechanical toy) containing a set of small cogwheels

More from Merriam-Webster on clockwork

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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