like clockwork

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

But earthquakes don’t happen like clockwork, and scientists cannot say for certain when the Raymond fault will rupture next.

From Los Angeles Times

Berkheiser says infusions have gone “like clockwork” since his delayed start.

From Seattle Times

The Dodgers might win 100 games like clockwork, but Sarah Wilson of Anaheim said she believed Dodgers fans could embrace summer as well as fall.

From Los Angeles Times

And film adaptations of the original book turn up every few decades, like clockwork.

From Seattle Times

Almost every season, like clockwork, nonwhite contestants receive online racial hate.

From Salon