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

see also:

in lockstep

Synonyms of lockstep

• routine
• grind

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

The recent divergence in how investors value Polymarket and Kalshi is noteworthy given that the two companies’ valuations have moved in lockstep for the past year. —Jack Kubinec, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026

Variations on this theme begin to pop up stateside in cookbooks like 1963’s Joys of Jell-O, and the recipe category grew in popularity in lockstep with the brand. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Apr. 2026

Gasoline prices follow crude, but not in lockstep. —Karl Montevirgen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Apr. 2026

Sequencers and drum machines, on the other hand, march in lockstep. —Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing lockstep

• in lockstep

Rhymes for lockstep

• bicep
• doorstep
• footstep
• instep
• misstep
• sidestep
• cep
• hep
• pep
• prep
• rep
• sep

Kids Definition

lockstep

noun

lock·​step -ˌstep 

: a way of marching in step in which the marchers are very close one behind the other