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
Synonyms
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
All of this could end up nowhere in a very conservative House, where GOP leaders move in lockstep with Trump.
—
Paul Kane, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2024
Ever since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, economic output has grown in lockstep with carbon emissions.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
For a culinary experience in lockstep with the surroundings, Alpenrose offers fondue, rosti, and schnitzel in a setting that harkens nearly back to the town’s founding (the restaurant opened its doors in 1974).
—Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2024
Newsom is in lockstep with San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D), who has criticized a similar ruling that barred her administration from clearing out homeless encampments.
—Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner, 13 Jan. 2024
Meanwhile, groups like the Police Benevolent Association, the largest police union in the state, have been in lockstep with Republicans.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2024
That doesn't scream Harbaugh, unless the coach just so happens to completely find himself in lockstep with general manager Ran Carthon.
—Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024
As Cummings works in lockstep with cinematographer Gerald Kerkletz, each shot is its own small treasure to explore, whether fantastical, explicit, mundane, or all of the above.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 8 Jan. 2024
All Babbitt wants is for his family to march in upwardly mobile lockstep, but conformity isn’t an easy thing for a father to control.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2023
Paul Kane, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2024
Ever since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, economic output has grown in lockstep with carbon emissions.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
For a culinary experience in lockstep with the surroundings, Alpenrose offers fondue, rosti, and schnitzel in a setting that harkens nearly back to the town’s founding (the restaurant opened its doors in 1974).
—Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2024
Newsom is in lockstep with San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D), who has criticized a similar ruling that barred her administration from clearing out homeless encampments.
—Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner, 13 Jan. 2024
Meanwhile, groups like the Police Benevolent Association, the largest police union in the state, have been in lockstep with Republicans.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2024
That doesn't scream Harbaugh, unless the coach just so happens to completely find himself in lockstep with general manager Ran Carthon.
—Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024
As Cummings works in lockstep with cinematographer Gerald Kerkletz, each shot is its own small treasure to explore, whether fantastical, explicit, mundane, or all of the above.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 8 Jan. 2024
All Babbitt wants is for his family to march in upwardly mobile lockstep, but conformity isn’t an easy thing for a father to control.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lockstep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lockstep
Cite this Entry
“Lockstep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lockstep. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lockstep
noun
lock·step
-ˌstep
: a way of marching in step in which the marchers are very close one behind the other
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