sidetrack
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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to move or distract from the main subject or course.
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to move from the main track to a siding, as a train.
noun
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any railroad track, other than a siding, that is auxiliary to the main track.
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a path, position, project, topic, etc., of less importance than the main one.
On a sidetrack to this thread on workplace safety, let me just say a little about office footwear.
verb
noun
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a railway siding
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the act or an instance of sidetracking; digression
Etymology
Origin of sidetrack
Explanation
To sidetrack is to veer off a straight path, or to cause something (or someone) to do so. The smell of a rabbit in the woods might sidetrack your dog from coming when you call him. In addition to literally wandering off course, sidetrack can also be used figuratively, when someone gets distracted from a task or focus, like when your text messages sidetrack you from finishing your homework. You can sidetrack a conversation, too, by controlling it and steering it in a new direction: "She always sidetracks the conversation so we end up talking about television."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When Devi tries to sidetrack Dr. Ryan, she pivots the conversation.
From Salon • Jun. 19, 2023
At least one powerful general tried to sidetrack it, Mr. Hammond told the Boston Globe in 1989, but he declined to name him.
From Washington Post • Dec. 7, 2022
Georgieva told a conference in Washington that policymakers should adopt targeted measures to alleviate rising food and fuel prices, while avoiding steps that could fuel inflation or sidetrack monetary policy.
From Reuters • Nov. 10, 2022
Just how much this will sidetrack momentum — especially in the United States where there’s congressional action to cut emissions of heat-trapping gas — depends on how long the rift extends, experts said.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 5, 2022
It’s not easy to sidetrack David, especially when it involves the video store, but he does like to count cars.
From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
