lockstep

noun

lock·​step ˈläk-ˌstep How to pronounce lockstep (audio)
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

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
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.
After some adjustment, the tools deployed for the auditing of infant technology companies changed largely in lockstep, with new data processing that arrived in the mid-1980s (Microsoft Excel launched in 1985). William Tarr, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 This record level of ownership creates a lockstep movement between the price-earnings ratio of the S & P 500 and the retail flow into the market. Yun Li, CNBC, 20 Mar. 2025 Most Democrats oppose the GOP bill, especially after their House colleagues voted nearly in lockstep to defeat it. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2025 Croxall, Giannone, Madera, and McVeigh have remained in lockstep throughout the proceedings and Croxall posted a selfie of the four women on International Women’s Day over the weekend. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lockstep

Word History

First Known Use

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lockstep was in 1787

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lockstep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lockstep. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

lockstep

noun
lock·​step -ˌstep How to pronounce lockstep (audio)
: a way of marching in step in which the marchers are very close one behind the other
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!