sidetrack

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: side=track

CIDE DICTIONARY

sidetrack, v. t. 

•  To transfer to a siding from a main line of track.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  Hence, fig., to divert or reduce to a position or condition that is relatively secondary or subordinate in activity, importance, effectiveness, or the like; to switch off; to turn aside, as from a purpose.

  "Such a project was, in fact, sidetracked in favor of the census of school children."  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

sidetrack, n. & v.
--n. a railway siding.
--v.tr.
1 turn into a siding; shunt.
2 a postpone, evade, or divert treatment or consideration. b divert (a person) from considering etc.

THESAURUS

sidetrack

L, avert, bear off, branch, bypath, byway, cable railway, cog railway, deflect, departure, deviation, digression, discursion, distract, divert, draw aside, draw off, ease off, edge off, el, electric railway, elevated, elevated railway, embankment, episode, excursion, excursus, feeder, feeder line, fly off, gee, glance, glance off, go off, gravity-operated railway, haw, head off, horse railway, jib, junction, light railroad, line, main line, make way for, metro, monorail, move aside, rack railway, rack-and-pinion railway, rail, rail line, railroad, railway, roadbed, roadway, sheer off, shove aside, shunt, shy, shy off, side, side path, side road, sidestep, siding, sidle, steer clear of, step aside, street railway, streetcar line, subway, switch, switchback, terminal, terminus, track, tram, tramline, trestle, trolley line, trunk, trunk line, tube, turn aside, turn away, turn back, turnout, underground, veer off

ROGET THESAURUS

sidetrack

Deviation

VB alter one's course, deviate, depart from, turn, trend, bend, curve, swerve, heel, bear off, gybe, wear, intervert, deflect, divert, divert from its course, put on a new scent, shift, shunt, draw aside, crook, warp, stray, straggle, sidle, diverge, tralineate, digress, wander, wind, twist, meander, veer, tack, divagate, sidetrack, turn aside, turn a corner, turn away from, wheel, steer clear of, ramble, rove, drift, go astray, go adrift, yaw, dodge, step aside, ease off, make way for, shy, fly off at a tangent, glance off, wheel about, face about, turn to the right about, face to the right about, waddle, go out of one's way, lose one's way.