Word.ws English Dictionary

lockstep

/ˈlɒkstɛp/

lockstep noun: a step whereby the toe of one man is brought very close to the heel of the man in front.

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
    • But what [the Founding Fathers] weren’t counting on was lockstep partisanship, which translates today into a pro-Trump, pro-MAGA congressional majority that is likely to reinforce the president’s agenda, at least until the 2026 midterm elections.2025 February 25, Linda Feldmann, “How Trump skirts checks and balances unlike any modern-day US president”, in The Christian Science Monitor
  3. (usually) An inflexible, rigid or stifling pattern.

Adjective

lockstep (not comparable)

  1. In close connection, in unison, synchronized.
    • With both official university policies lock-step in favor of military recruitment, the next move is up to the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations.1983 February 5, Marc Killinger, “Universities Reinstate Military Recruiters”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 28, page 3

Forms of lockstep

plurallocksteps
alternative formlock-step
alternative formlock step

Origin of lockstep

From lock + step.

Questions about lockstep

What does lockstep mean?
Lockstep means a step whereby the toe of one man is brought very close to the heel of the man in front.
What part of speech is lockstep?
Lockstep can be a noun or an adjective.
How do you pronounce lockstep?
Lockstep is pronounced /ˈlɒkstɛp/ (UK).
What is the plural of lockstep?
The plural of lockstep is locksteps.

Words near lockstep in the dictionary

  1. lockspited
  2. lockspiting
  3. lockspits
  4. locksport
  5. LOCKSS
  6. lockstep
  7. locksteps
  8. lockstitch
  9. lockstitched
  10. lockstitcher
  11. lockstitches

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: 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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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lockstep.wav.

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