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 wayThis type of star has a wonderful property: Its brightness waxes and wanes like clockwork…—
Ron Cowen
Ron CowenIf everything went like clockwork, it would have taken a year to get items in stores.—Brooks Barnes
Brooks BarnesExamples of clockwork in a Sentence
the clockwork inside a mechanical toy soldier
Recent Examples on the Web
But like clockwork, the Pacers went right back to their bread and butter: pick-and-roll with a twist.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025
From industrial development in China to population booms in emerging markets, the global appetite for oil kept expanding like clockwork.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Like clockwork, so did the labor safety violations.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
But instead, like clockwork, North Philly showed up.
—Dawn Staley, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clockwork
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Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025
From industrial development in China to population booms in emerging markets, the global appetite for oil kept expanding like clockwork.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Like clockwork, so did the labor safety violations.
—Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
But instead, like clockwork, North Philly showed up.
—Dawn Staley, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for clockwork
Cite this Entry
“Clockwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clockwork. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clockwork
noun
clock·work
ˈkläk-ˌwərk
: machinery (as in a mechanical toy) containing a set of small cogwheels
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