off the track

Idioms  

1. Away from one's objective, train of thought, or a sequence of events, It is often put as, as in Your question has gotten me off the track, or The interruption threw Mom off the track and she forgot what she'd already put into the stew. This term comes from railroading, where it means “derailed.” Its figurative use was first recorded in 1875.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

off the track

Images circulating on social media showed the truck performing a wheelie before swerving off the track and crashing into the barriers separating the public from the track.

From Barron's ● May 4, 2026

He adds that Antonelli’s maturity stood out even as a youngster in that he was able to deal well with difficulties on and off the track.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026

Now he’s pulled off the track equivalent with the announcement that 2024 Olympian Quincy Wilson, from Bullis School in Potomac, Md., is coming on April 11 to compete at the Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 2026

Hamilton came back at him on the run to Turn Four, but Verstappen, on the inside, braked late and Hamilton ran off the track, himself cutting the corner at Turn Five.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2025

Now he gave the toy train a shove, and it careened off the track.

From "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix