How to Use sidetrack in a Sentence

sidetrack

verb
  • The moon’s clash with Mars threatens to sidetrack you.
    — Usa Today, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Neck, thumb and back issues sidetracked much of his season.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The week’s issue involves a past project that got sidetracked.
    — SFChronicle.com, 28 July 2019
  • Drivers have gotten sidetracked at the wheel for as long as cars have been on the road.
    — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2019
  • But his career has been sidetracked by injuries.
    — The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Discuss one idea at a time, and refocus the group if things get sidetracked.
    — Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2019
  • Montravius kind of got sidetracked there with the injury and stuff.
    — James Crepea, AL.com, 28 Feb. 2018
  • But some air travelers could be sidetracked by a hole on a major runway.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 22 May 2026
  • Have a game plan Getting sidetracked by daily events happens to all of us.
    — Robert J. Davis, Time, 19 Jan. 2018
  • Garcia said there was parity in the district and they can't get sidetracked.
    — David Taylor, Houston Chronicle, 5 Apr. 2018
  • Duffy avoided the big inning that sidetracked each of his previous starts.
    — Maria Torres, kansascity, 17 Apr. 2018
  • Whatever issues that would arise – and there would be many – weren’t going to sidetrack them.
    — Eric Stephens, Orange County Register, 23 May 2017
  • But the sue-and-settle gravy train may soon be sidetracked — at least at the EPA.
    — Rob Gordon, National Review, 21 Oct. 2017
  • The public gets sidetracked by the language and the narrative.
    — Aisha Nyandoro, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
  • The event is soon sidetracked when the local police chief shows up with a few questions for the wedding party.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2018
  • We’d get sidetracked with goofing off and Ronnie would remind us to get working.
    — Donna Vickroy, Daily Southtown, 14 Apr. 2018
  • Lewis’ knee issues have taken years off his career, sidetracked his path and lowered his prospect status.
    — Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times, 9 July 2018
  • They won’t be sidetracked by taking up a cause that has no bearing on crucial issues the country is facing right now.
    — Dahleen Glanton, chicagotribune.com, 29 July 2019
  • Knee injuries sidetracked his career and the contract offers will be much more modest this summer.
    — Dana Gauruder, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2020
  • But while few of us condone theft or arson or violence, don’t get sidetracked by opportunists and fools.
    — Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press, 3 June 2020
  • The appellate judges, sidetracked by the AI issue, never touched on that.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
  • But that was sidetracked when the Bachelor alum tested positive for a gene that links her to a high risk of cancer.
    — Megan Friedman, Cosmopolitan, 5 July 2017
  • By the mid-2000s, plans to build a six-story condo were sidetracked by a bad economy.
    — Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The 2014 first-round pick's career has been sidetracked by two ACL tears.
    — Dana Gauruder, Detroit Free Press, 11 Nov. 2019
  • Picked up the quest from Moira to check out the RobCo plant and got sidetracked with other dungeons on the way there.
    — Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 20 Aug. 2019
  • Stephenson continues to work with Fassero, addressing issues that have caused him to be sidetracked on the mound.
    — Gentry Estes, The Courier-Journal, 16 May 2018
  • There’s no shame in trailing Herbert, who has avoided most of the pitfalls that sidetrack young quarterbacks.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2021
  • Brown kept getting sidetracked with tangents and non sequiturs, on topics both momentous and random.
    — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Way back when, Brazile had first-round buzz after a strong freshman year at Missouri before injuries sidetracked him.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 15 May 2026
  • Bonzagni, who was set to work as a full-time starter for the first time, seemed primed for a breakout season last year before his injury sidetracked him.
    — Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sidetrack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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