lockstep

American  

[lok-step] / ˈlɒkˌstɛp /

noun

1. a way of marching in very close file, in which the leg of each person moves with and closely behind the corresponding leg of the person ahead.

2. a rigidly inflexible pattern or process.

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adjective

1. rigidly inflexible.

   a lockstep educational curriculum.

lockstep British  

/ ˈlɒkˌstɛp /

noun

1. a method of marching in step such that the men follow one another as closely as possible

2. a standard procedure that is closely, often mindlessly, followed

3. progressing at exactly the same speed and in the same direction as other people or things, esp as a matter of course rather than by choice

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Etymology

Origin of lockstep

First recorded in 1795–1805; lock ¹ + step

Example Sentences

Airlines’ luggage fees tend to move in lockstep.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Others aren’t so sure, pointing to the long hiatus, the off-screen turmoil and a television landscape that no longer moves in lockstep.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Israeli officials are keen to emphasise that the two countries are in lockstep, even if they occasionally, inadvertently, hint at gaps.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

“Consequently, we do not expect TTD’s revenue to grow in lockstep with the growth of OpenAI’s product.”

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

I did not find a coherent tradition marching lockstep but instead factions, and factions within factions.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates