lockstep

play

noun, often attributive lock·step \ ˈläk-ˌstep \

Definition of lockstep

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

— in lockstep

:in perfect or rigid often mindless conformity or unison

politicians marching in lockstep with the party line

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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 of lockstep from the Web

Behind the scenes, the infected devices sent the requests to targeted sites in lockstep with other infected devices.

— dan goodin, Ars Technica, "One of 1st-known Android DDoS malware infects phones in 100 countries," 28 Aug. 2017
Empire eroding The ability to relocate whole communities en masse may help prevent what is happening to communities like Empire, La., where the permanent population has slowly declined over time – in lockstep with a decline in economic activity.

— henry gass, The Christian Science Monitor, "Tactical retreat? As seas rise, Louisiana faces hard choices.," 2 Aug. 2017
Americans who assume the rest of the world is in lockstep on sensible climate policy may be surprised.

— robinson meyer, The Atlantic, "An Inconvenient Time for An Inconvenient Sequel," 26 July 2017
Songs in the middle of the record are marked by tight, dissonant arrangements where the core of Jones, guitarist Jeff Libersher, and bassist Dante Kester create lockstep patterns with a slew of harmony singers and horn players.

— peter margasak, Chicago Reader, "With Putting Off Death, their first album in six years, veteran art-rock oddballs Cheer-Accident continue to confound," 20 July 2017
And culture does not march in lockstep with income, or at least not right away:

— john mcwhorter, National Review, "Stop Obsessing Over Race and IQ," 5 July 2017
The president is the leader of his party, yet Trump has struggled to get Republican lawmakers moving in lockstep on health care and other major issues, leaving no signature legislation in his first five months in office.

— author: philip rucker, robert costa, ashley parker, Alaska Dispatch News, "Who’s afraid of Trump? Not enough Republicans – at least for now.," 28 June 2017
The band’s signature sonics are in place – the helicopter swirl of the Edge’s guitar in lockstep with the rhythm section of bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr., overlaid with Bono’s soaring, incantatory vocals.

— dan deluca, Philly.com, "U2's 'Joshua Tree' was born into Ronald Reagan's America. Does it speak to Donald Trump's?," 15 June 2017
What separates Crosby is an ability to raise his play in lockstep with the stakes.

— will graves, The Seattle Times, "Crosby doing it all again as Penguins close in on Cup," 9 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lockstep.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of lockstep

1787

lockstep Synonyms

Synonyms

drill, grind, groove, routine, pattern, rote, rut, treadmill

Related Words

daily dozen, regimen; housekeeping; custom, fashion, habit, practice (also practise), trick, wont; approach, manner, method, procedure, strategy, style, tack, technique, way; design, plan, program, scheme; convention, policy, tradition

LOCKSTEP Defined for English Language Learners

lockstep

play

noun

Definition of lockstep for English Language Learners

: a way of marching in which people follow each other very closely

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