Word.ws English Dictionary

lock-step

lock-step is the alternative spelling of lockstep.

Meaning of lockstep

Noun

lockstep (usually uncountable, plural locksteps)

  1. (usually) A step whereby the toe of one man is brought very close to the heel of the man in front.
  2. (figuratively, usually) Close connection, unison, rigid synchronization.
    • The CIA's analysts learned to march in lockstep, conforming to conventional wisdom.2007, Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes, Penguin, published 2008, page xv
  3. (usually) An inflexible, rigid or stifling pattern.

See all 4 meanings of lockstep

Questions about lock-step

What is lock-step the alternative spelling of?
Lock-step is the alternative spelling of lockstep.

Words near lock-step in the dictionary

  1. lock-outs
  2. lock-pick
  3. lock-picked
  4. lock-picking
  5. lock-picks
  6. lock-step
  7. lock-time
  8. lock-times
  9. lock-up
  10. lock-ups
  11. lock-weir

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: lock-step (page history and authors); lockstep (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “lock-step.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/lock-step. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.