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sidetrack

[ sahyd-trak ]
/ ˈsaɪdˌtræk /
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See synonyms for: sidetrack / sidetracked on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with or without object)
to move from the main track to a siding, as a train.
to move or distract from the main subject or course.
noun
any railroad track, other than a siding, auxiliary to the main track.
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Origin of sidetrack

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; side1 + track

Words nearby sidetrack

side street, sidestroke, sideswipe, side table, side tone, sidetrack, side trip, side-valve engine, sidewalk, sidewalk artist, sidewalking
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to sidetrack

alter, avert, change, deflect, digress, redirect, swerve, switch, veer

How to use sidetrack in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sidetrack

sidetrack
/ (ˈsaɪdˌtræk) /
verb
to distract or be distracted from a main subject or topic
noun
US and Canadian a railway siding
the act or an instance of sidetracking; digression
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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