1. Depart from a main topic, theme, or purpose in speech or thought
   "Don't get sidetracked when you give the lecture";
   - digress, stray, divagate [rare], wander
    
2. Wander from a direct or straight course
   "The hikers were sidetracked from the main trail by a nice waterfall";
   - depart, digress

1. A temporary departure from the main subject or course in speech, writing, or thought
   "The lecture was full of interesting sidetracks";
   - diversion, deviation, digression, deflection, deflexion [Brit], divagation [rare], discursion, aside, excursus, parenthesis
    
2. A short stretch of railway track used to store rolling stock or enable trains on the same line to pass
   "The freight train pulled into the railway sidetrack to let the passenger train pass";
   - siding, railroad siding [N. Amer], turnout [N. Amer], railway siding [Brit, Cdn]

Derived forms: sidetracks, sidetracking, sidetracked

Type of: content, deviate, divert, message, railroad [N. Amer], railroad track [N. Amer], railway [Brit, Cdn], railway track [Brit, Cdn], subject matter, substance, tell, turn, turning

Encyclopedia: Sidetrack