1
: the system of moving wheels inside something (such as a clock or an old-fashioned toy) that makes its parts move
the clockwork inside a mechanical toy soldier
2
—used to describe something that happens or works in a very regular and exact way
Every morning, like clockwork, customers line up outside the front door of the bakery.
Their wedding went (off) like clockwork. [=their wedding went very smoothly; everything in the wedding happened the way they planned]
The birds return each year, (as) regular as clockwork.
—often used before another nounThe work was done with clockwork precision.
They return with clockwork regularity.
a clockwork operation
Cite this Entry
“Clockwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/clockwork. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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