lock step

(noun) a standard procedure that is followed mindlessly. Synonyms: lockstep. Example: "The union's support had been in lockstep for years."

(noun) a manner of marching in file in which each person's leg moves with and behind the corresponding leg of the person ahead. Synonyms: lockstep. Example: "The prisoner's ankles were so chained together that they could only march in lockstep."