like clockwork

Idioms  

1. Also, regular as clockwork. With extreme regularity, as in Ruth arrives every Wednesday morning just like clockwork, or You can count on his schedule, which is regular as clockwork, or Their assembly line runs like clockwork. This idiom alludes to the mechanical and therefore very regular action of a clock. [Second half of 1600s]

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Example Sentences

Rashawn was doing a lot better than he expected, but every thirty minutes, like clockwork, she froze and burst into tears.

From Literature

Much of the spice’s charm is overshadowed by an ever-popular pumpkin spice craze, which peaks like clockwork at the start of autumn.

From Salon

“I don’t know what magic dust they sprinkled across the group, but since then, things have gone like clockwork,” Hunter said.

From The Wall Street Journal

"This thing worked like clockwork. That doesn't happen often," explains David Fitzgerald, a former Latin America Chief of Operations for the CIA who also worked on planning missions with the US military.

From BBC

My daughter and I brought the Santas out from the garage like clockwork each November to start decorating our home, and we kept them up well into the new year.

From Los Angeles Times