lockstep

noun, often attributive

lock·step | \ ˈläk-ˌstep

How to pronounce lockstep (audio)

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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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about lockstep

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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 on the Web Eric Ueland, White House director of legislative affairs Ueland assists Cipollone in trying to ensure Republicans on Capitol Hill are in lockstep with the White House during the impeachment proceedings. — Courtney Subramanian, USA TODAY, "Who are the key Republican players in the Senate impeachment trial?," 19 Dec. 2019 The investigators found that both diseases are on the rise, more or less in lockstep with climate. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, "How Climate Change is Clobbering Kids' Health," 13 Nov. 2019 Zaidi is a card-carrying member of baseball’s new age, in which managers act in lockstep with the front office and often follow orders regarding in-game strategy. — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "Giants hire Gabe Kapler as their manager — it’s quite a gamble," 12 Nov. 2019 There is one area where Senate Republicans are in lockstep with Democrats, however: the Senate unanimously voted Tuesday, calling on Trump to release the whistleblower complaint. — Natasha Bach, Fortune, "A Running List of Questions on the Impeachment Inquiry, Answered," 26 Sep. 2019 The South Carolina Republican said Mr. Trump should not be in lockstep on this issue with Democrats running for the party's presidential nomination. — Camilo Montoya-galvez, CBS News, "Lindsey Graham warns Trump against "really risky" Afghanistan drawdown," 25 Aug. 2019 This strategy, wherein efficiency increases in lockstep with size, may help explain how filter-feeders ballooned over time. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, "Whales Are the Biggest Animals to Ever Exist—Why Aren’t They Bigger?," 13 Dec. 2019 What the team found was that the slow waves seen in non-REM sleep occur in lockstep with changes in both blood flow and CSF. — Simon Makin, Scientific American, "Deep Sleep Gives Your Brain a Deep Clean," 1 Nov. 2019 But every step of the way, Pence has been in lockstep, walking that very tight wire and essentially always defending the President. — NBC News, "Transcript: What About Pence?," 11 Nov. 2019

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.

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Dictionary Entries near lockstep

lock, stock, and barrel

Statistics for lockstep

Last Updated

14 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Lockstep.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lockstep. Accessed 21 January 2020.

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