DERAIL Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

derail

verb

di-ˈrāl

Definition of derail

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of derail Learning From Presidential Focus History offers examples of leaders who harnessed pivotal moments to drive enduring progress, refusing to let distractions derail them. — Stewart McLaurin, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Like many others in Kyiv, the couple decided the attacks would not derail their lives and forged ahead with the ceremony. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026 Ross started her athletic career as a gymnast for a decade but an injury derailed that career. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026 Untreated water, poor hand hygiene and contaminated food can still derail any trip. — Elaine Reno, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for derail

Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail

Verb

Some of these elements are distracting, some are used as plot devices, and a few simply reek of misanthropy for its own sake.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2026
The pain distracted Garrett while facing a 49ers lineup that included three-time All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of distract

Verb

Food companies are trying to find ways to make products healthier or more affordable by changing ingredients without disturbing familiar textures.

— Dee-Ann Durbin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
These changes can disturb the jet stream, the fast-moving westerly current of air in the atmosphere that helps steer weather systems around the Northern Hemisphere.

— Yongkang Xue, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of disturb

Verb

What’s bothered me, though, is how its backers have anchored their messaging around a lot of misleading generalizations about the state of college sports.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Having my mother in so much of the film [is what] bothers me.

— Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of bother

Verb

According to new Gallup polling, 27% of US workers worry that technology will render their jobs obsolete, a new high.

— Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
New blood tests that might predict Alzheimer’s years before symptoms begin may sound tantalizing for people who worry about later-in-life dementia.

— Lauran Neergaard, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of worry

Verb

The constant delay-of-game calls, false starts and inability to get lined up are a special level of alarming for a quarterback who entered the NFL 10 years ago.

— Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Americans appear increasingly alarmed by the technology,with 7 in 10 polled in March opposing local construction of data centers that power AI technology, according to a Gallup survey.

— Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of alarm

Verb

While experts recognize the immense scientific potential of the findings, some warn that the ability to create hybrid mouse-human cortical brain cells could bring us closer than ever to a concerning ethical boundary.

— Mike McRae September 17, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026
Aero Plantation’s roads are privately owned and maintained by the neighborhood, a distinction residents cited in explaining why outside traffic concerns them.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of concern

Verb

Civil rights attorney Jon Marko, who reviewed the syllabus language for CBS Detroit, says parents have reason to be unsettled.

— Heath Kalb, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Man is an unknowable creature, and few things unsettle it more than forcing it to live within its mystery.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of unsettle

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derailed

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“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of derail

verb

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