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

Treasury yields have been moving practically in lockstep this month.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

As yields have pushed higher, stocks and bond prices have increasingly started to move in lockstep.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

Compare that with the Treasury market, where the 10-year yield is moving in lockstep with oil.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Europe’s leading central banks have moved in lockstep since the outbreak of war in the Middle East, but they could soon part ways.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

We paraded around the room a couple of times in lockstep, like a chain gang, with Frank first, Ernestine next, and the children following by ages.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey