like clockwork
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
With perfect regularity and precision; faultless.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Với sự thường xuyên và chính xác hoàn hảo; không sai sót
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Thanks to the volunteers, the event ran like clockwork.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org). Figurative class: Simile (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “like clockwork” mean?
With perfect regularity and precision; faultless.
Is “like clockwork” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.