veer off

veer off (of) (something)

1. To turn or swerve off of some path, trajectory, or direction very sharply or abruptly. The car suddenly veered off the road and crashed into a tree. I veered off of the race course because I thought I knew of a shortcut.
2. To diverge or deviate suddenly from some established plan, idea, topic, or purpose. I'm having a tough time keeping the team focused and not allowing the project to veer off course. The debate veered off into an argument about the senators' personal lives.
See also: off, veer
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

veer off (from someone or something)

to turn or steer sharply away from someone or something. The bird veered off from the cluster of trees. The bird veered off and missed hitting the post.
See also: off, veer
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

veer off

v.
To turn aside suddenly and leave some course, direction, or purpose: The tire blew out, and the car veered off the road. The road veers off to the right, so stay alert. The teacher veered off the topic and left the students bewildered.
See also: off, veer
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • (I've) got to take off
  • be off for (something)
  • be off for sth
  • (Now) where was I?
  • be well off for (something)
  • be well off for something
  • be off with you
  • auction off
  • break off
  • base off (of) (something else)
References in periodicals archive
According to a police report, the lorry's power transmission broke down, causing it to veer off the road and crash into the motorbike, killing Duong Phuoc Long, a 51-year-old Vietnamese national from Kampong Cham province.
30am Sunday incident happened when one of the main front leaf springs of the vehicle broke down, making the bus to lose balance and veer off the road.Confirming the accident, Lamu West OCPD Juma Londo said the injured were rushed to the Mpeketoni Sub-County Hospital.
Summary: Speeding and lack of attention during driving led the vehicle to veer off the road and crash into the cement barrier.
The firework caused him to veer off the road and came to rest against a wall.
The second bus was forced to veer off the road to avoid contact with the bus, authorities said.
According to the police, the 19-year-old, while driving on Georgios Grivas Digenis street, lost control of his car causing it veer off the road, enter into a field and crash consecutively into two trees.
Neither could not be established as the cause for Andrew to veer off the carriageway."
One wheel ended up on the grass, causing the aircraft to veer off and spin.
A YACHT skipper who forced an Irish ferry to veer off course has been prosecuted by the Port of Milford Haven.
Froome had to veer off into the verge to avoid going over himself - then accused the Spaniard of riding dangerously.
Dubai Two suspects have been charged with stealing a vehicle after endangering two individuals' lives EoAC" by terrorising them with a car chase EoAC" before forcing them to veer off the main road.
It is not known what caused the car to veer off the road and police investigations are being carried out.
And like the tradition of storytelling, Salvatore's text can veer off into long passages of historical background information to place Franklin's life and the African American experience in context with the world at large, not separate from, but central to.
The impact caused the car to veer off the road and into a hedge, although the driver, a man from Stoke Heath, Coventry, was not hurt.
"Too often businesses veer off into different areas and lose their main focus.