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 way

This type of star has a wonderful property: Its brightness waxes and wanes like clockwork…

—Ron 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

Bach like an autopsy Still, every few months, like clockwork, the questions come in. — HubSpot, 1 Oct. 2026

Geneva Watch Days ran ahead like clockwork from September 2 to 6, with at least a dozen novelties introduced across the five-day affair. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2026

Like clockwork, the themeless specialist has returned for his 17th Friday offering for The New York Times, and his sixth this year. — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Every fall, like clockwork, the scent returns to coffee shops, beauty aisles, and seemingly every corner of the home. — Camila Quimper, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for clockwork

• artwork
• beadwork
• berserk
• breastwork
• brickwork
• brushwork
• casework
• classwork
• coursework
• ductwork
• earthwork
• falsework

Kids Definition

clockwork

noun

clock·​work ˈkläk-ˌwərk 

: machinery (as in a mechanical toy) containing a set of small cogwheels