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

The safety car was deployed as officials cleared debris off the track.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

On Thursday, the athlete issued an apology on Instagram, saying she regrets not stepping off the track.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

"It just feels phenomenal to be back in a better place, just healthy mentally, physically and emotionally," said Richardson, who has had troubles off the track.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

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

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

From "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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