lockstep

[ lok-step ]

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.

adjective

1. rigidly inflexible:

   a lockstep educational curriculum.

lockstep

/ 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. in lockstep with
   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

Word History and Origins

Origin of lockstep¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; lock ¹ + step

Example Sentences

The announcement shocked even members of Congress whose lockstep loyalty to the president-elect is otherwise unquestioned.

From Los Angeles Times

We were by and large, very shared brain, in lockstep.

From Salon

By comparison, the Republicans are part of a right-wing movement that operates lockstep like a religion where victory is all that matters, and at any cost.

From Salon

That trend, the FTC reported, “casts doubt on assertions that rising prices at the grocery store are simply moving in lockstep with retailers’ own rising costs.”

From Los Angeles Times

Each of these cases, endcapped with the shocking presidential immunity ruling to protect Trump, is in lockstep with Project 2025, while the ultimate goal of protecting fossil fuels remains obscured.

From Salon