as in to distract
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
according to police, the suspect had been derailed in recent months by mounting financial problems
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Recent Examples of derail
Rourke, a 2025 seventh-rounder, squeezed in three weeks of practice at the end of his rookie season as a final step of his comeback from an ACL tear that didn’t derail his senior season success at Indiana.
—
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Based on the 2003 roman à clef by Lauren Weisberger, the project was once a thorn in Wintour’s side that threatened to derail her legacy.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
State AGs have notched some successes recently, temporarily derailing the merger of big broadcasters Nexstar and Tegna and obtaining a settlement from Live Nation.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
And while hard-liners continue attempts to derail diplomacy with continued demands and attacks in the strait, moderates in Iran continue to push for peace.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derail
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Based on the 2003 roman à clef by Lauren Weisberger, the project was once a thorn in Wintour’s side that threatened to derail her legacy.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
State AGs have notched some successes recently, temporarily derailing the merger of big broadcasters Nexstar and Tegna and obtaining a settlement from Live Nation.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
And while hard-liners continue attempts to derail diplomacy with continued demands and attacks in the strait, moderates in Iran continue to push for peace.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail
Verb
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This white chocolate bar is creamy and ultra-sweet, and the great minds at TJ’s were smart to distract from the one-note flavor with crunchy little cookie crumbles.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Apr. 2026
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The curators supply a historical backdrop, therefore, but discreetly, and without distracting us from Wright’s poetic originality.—
Julian Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ty Segall exemplifies the modern indie rock experimentalist, constantly trying out new styles and attitudes and usually landing on some intense neopsychedelic sounds that can both comfort and disturb.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
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The worms thrash and move erratically with a snake-like motion that disturbs the topsoil.—
Maria Braganini,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With Minnesota viewing them as soft, the Nuggets hardly seem bothered by the criticism.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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Fuqua and Logan can’t be bothered to figure it out.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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A lot could happen before either makes their season debut, which is why Gil isn’t worrying about his future just yet.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Gutiérrez worries that Trump’s eagerness for a trophy that has evaded 12 Democratic and Republican presidents could get the better of him.—
Joshua Goodman,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His campaign is gaining momentum at a time when many of the administration’s steadfast Christian backers—alarmed by the president’s bullying campaign against Pope Leo XIV in recent weeks, among other heresies—have been rethinking their support.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
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Maduro’s capture and extraction alarmed the Cuban leadership.—
Carlos Manuel Alvarez,
Time,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Left-wing nonprofit group Democracy Forward filed a Freedom of Information Act request on Tuesday to find records related to a recent report concerning drinking allegations against FBI Director Kash Patel.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Apr. 2026
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Once, when English visited, Hunt was concerned what his two young grandchildren might say in meeting this man who couldn’t walk.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Even some of the basics are still unsettled.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
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The result is a category of entertainment that’s commercially viable, but still creatively unsettled.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Angel, who was Tish’s best friend, gets increasingly agitated by her friend’s disappearance.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
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And Anderson is said to be behaving impeccably in not agitating for a move.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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