sidetracked
Americanadjective
-
distracted from the main subject, task, course, etc..
Sorry for not replying sooner—I’m an easily sidetracked guy with poor time management.
-
(of a train) moved from the main track to a siding, where it stops temporarily.
Rail officials agreed to move a sidetracked train after local residents complained of the noise, fumes, and vibrations.
verb
Etymology
Origin of sidetracked
First recorded in 1880–85; sidetrack ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; sidetrack ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
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.
The U.S. economy got sidetracked in February by tariff-related price increases, sluggish sales and the previous month’s Winter Storm Fern, but top executives were also more optimistic that business will improve later in the year.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 20, 2026
A third said they migrated to the U.S. to further their education but got sidetracked as business opportunities arose, and 20% said they had hoped to achieve the American dream through work opportunities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025
It’s a shame he got sidetracked into action-hero franchises.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025
"My ambition was not to be a music photographer, my ambition was to be a war photographer - but I got a sidetracked in a great way," he says.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2025
My promise to Grandpa about being ready and waiting for our trip to town got sidetracked during the night.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
