derail

verb

de·​rail di-ˈrāl 

dē-

derailed; derailing; derails

transitive verb

1

: to cause to run off the rails

2

a

: to obstruct the progress of : frustrate

security problems derailed the tour

b

: to upset the stability or composure of

divorce … can seriously derail an employee

—Joanne Gordon

intransitive verb

: to leave the rails

derailment

di-ˈrāl-mənt 

dē-

noun

Synonyms

• distract
• disturb
• bother
• worry
• alarm
• concern
• unsettle
• agitate
• anger

Examples of derail in a Sentence

The train derailed in heavy snow.

The train was derailed by heavy snow.

Recent Examples on the Web

But Sparkle Megan didn't let that bump in the road derail her mission to find a husband. —Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025

Head coach James Franklin agreed to participate only after he was convinced the stunt wouldn't derail his team's rhythm. —Jp Mangalindan, Time, 30 Sep. 2025

From focusing too much on yourself to forgetting a prior meeting, small mistakes can derail what could have been a meaningful relationship. —Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025

Injuries and poor performances have derailed the last two seasons and cost them a trip to the playoffs. —Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French dérailler to throw off the track, from dé- de- + rail, from English

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for derail

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• detail
• dovetail
• email
• entail

Kids Definition

derail

verb

de·​rail di-ˈrā(ə)l 

: to cause to run off the rails

a train derailed by heavy snow

derailment

-mənt 

noun