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
  • City officials previously said that the Boveys deviated substantially from the initial plans.
    — Susan Sarkauskas, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The artisans stay true to the original colors and designs of the park — never deviating in 70 years.
    — Carole Horst, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of deviate
Verb
  • To avert future calamities, the forest outside Bordeaux must be thinned and its fire breaks widened, said Arthur Guérin-Turcq, a Sorbonne University geographer whose family cultivates pines near Le Porge.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The settlement was reached during a California federal trial over claims brought by 29 states, averting one of the highest-profile tests yet of allegations that social media companies harmed young users.
    — Diana Novak Jones, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of avert
Verb
  • Sometimes, operators were forced to drain one pond and divert its water to save fish in another, the Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Inter-branch Organization said in early August.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Tax allocation districts are designated areas where a certain amount of property tax revenue growth is diverted away from governments and used to fund specific improvements within that district.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of divert
Verb
  • Ted deflects the questions, but the friendly encounter only seems to make Alice dig in.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Chemical sunscreen filters absorb UV rays, while the zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in mineral sunscreens sit on the skin’s surface and physically deflect them.
    — Alison Abbey Hudak, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of deflect
Verb
  • Time saved that is never redirected becomes organizational slack, and slack is invisible in financial statements.
    — Emily Lewis-Pinnell, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • On Thursday, an older gentleman started at the sign with a green arrow redirecting patrons on the post-construction path.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of redirect
Verb
  • The Moon in Pisces moves through your 6th House of Work, Health, and Daily Routines while making an awkward angle to Venus in Libra and your 1st House of Self.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Acceptance moves you out of frustration and into a place of proactivity.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of move
Verb
  • As a result of the collision, the 20-year-old driver of a Toyota Tacoma swerved to avoid hitting the Mercedes-Benz, the outlet reported.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Towards the end of the teaser (around 21 seconds), a black car is seen swerving around traffic.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of swerve
Verb
  • But Boone removed him from the lineup before the top of the fourth, shifting José Caballero to shortstop and bringing in Amed Rosario to play third base.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Monthly sales at Poppy Rose have climbed from roughly $30,000 to hundreds of thousands of dollars since the business shifted from Etsy to TikTok Shop and adopted print-on-demand.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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