sidetrack

verb

Definition of sidetracknext
as in to deviate

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sidetrack Some unnecessary, overlong scenes do drag, allowing the audience to get sidetracked. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 May 2026 Stripe co-founder and president John Collison told CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin on Tuesday that the company isn’t yet aiming for an IPO, which would sidetrack its current product and business growth. — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026 Three consecutive presidencies have been sidetracked by immigration-policy overreach. — Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026 The moon’s clash with Mars threatens to sidetrack you. — Usa Today, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sidetrack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sidetrack
  1. deviate
  2. avert
  3. divert
  4. deflect
  5. redirect
  6. move
  7. swerve
  8. shift
Verb
  • Subaru redesigns its midsize SUV without deviating from winning formula.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 15 July 2026
  • Her full-length works often feature people, especially women, holding their ground and deviating from societal expectations, which creates dissonance between their internal and external worlds.
    — Sky Davis, Christian Science Monitor, 13 July 2026
Definition of deviate
Verb
  • The long-term care industry says not every clash can be averted.
    — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026
  • Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is paramount in averting wildfires during these perilous conditions.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of avert
Verb
  • By still spending so much on conventional manned equipment, the United States and many other countries are diverting funds from more efficient systems.
    — Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026
  • There is the suspicion his behavior regarding the court has been motivated to divert attention from his personal scandal and gain political support from anti-Israeli and anti-American nations.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of divert
Verb
  • The ensuing chaos led to Abduvohid Nematov deflecting the ball into his own net.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Argentina finally re-took the lead for good in the 111th minute when Cristian Romero hit a glancing header that deflected off the arm of Cape Verde defender Diney Borges for an own goal.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
Definition of deflect
Verb
  • Today’s guardrails are designed to absorb or redirect collisions coming from angles of less than twenty-five degrees, as the overwhelming majority of guardrail crashes do.
    — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • Coupang is likely to redirect inventory from nearby facilities to minimize disruptions.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 20 July 2026
Definition of redirect
Verb
  • Trump then took the microphone and moved the conversation onto Balogun’s red card.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • Turkey moved fastest, deploying troops to its base and airlifting food within days, a role that also nudged Ankara's own reading of the Gulf.
    — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of move
Verb
  • Messi’s outswinging corner was typically on the money, dipping and swerving deliciously over the first man and into a dangerous pocket of space.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • Jackson then allegedly drove over into another lane and swerved at the victim, while using an obscene hand gesture.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026
Definition of swerve
Verb
  • De la Fuente wisely shifted to a more tiki-taka-esque focus with a stout defense moving forward and hoped that his wingers would get healthy as the tournament progressed.
    — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Ossoff asks, shifting to allegations of corruption and incompetence.
    — Bill Barrow, Fortune, 19 July 2026
Definition of shift

Browse Nearby Words

side tables
sidetrack
sidetracked
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Cite this Entry

“Sidetrack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sidetrack. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sidetrack

Nglish: Translation of sidetrack for Spanish Speakers

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