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

The busy operation has to run like clockwork, as about 200 lorries will arrive to collect products every day.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026

A wrist upgrade never hurts, especially if he’s the type who doesn’t always run like clockwork.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

I have a confession, and it is not particularly chic: Twice a year, like clockwork, I crave Cajun chicken pasta.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

I’m not sure what would provoke anyone to tune in, but like clockwork, the viewership billowed to the thousands.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026

Every few weeks it was the same story, like clockwork.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah