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

Everett herself has expanded her horizons in lockstep with her character’s: The final season features an original composition that marks her first-ever love song — one not addressed to her dog, at least. —Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Dec. 2024

Extinction rates and human population growth march in lockstep, tracing parallel paths of exponential growth since 1800. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024

Mortgage rates — which don't move in lockstep with changes in the federal funds rate — have gone up based on various headwinds, including the outlook for the economy and the 2024 presidential election. —Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024

But Ostrowski said mortgage rates don’t move in lockstep with the Fed’s benchmark interest rate the way some other consumer borrowing rates do, such as credit card rates. —Cory Smith, Baltimore Sun, 12 Nov. 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