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
This might sound basic, but nothing can derail a park visit faster than finally arriving only to find an anticipated attraction or road is closed.
—
Peyton Roberts, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026
Oil prices soared on Thursday as Iran ramped up attacks on tankers, threatening to derail the global economy amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Things are going strong between Jack and Mel, however, as the couple weathers a few setbacks on their journey to finally adopt a baby from one of Mel's patients, Marley, though the unforeseen return of a past obstacle threatens to derail their plans once again.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
The law is passed amidst a wave of violence toward public officials in the last year, including in Lafayette, Indiana, where a judge and his wife were shot in what prosecutors have alleged was an attempt to derail an upcoming trial.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derail
Peyton Roberts, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026
Oil prices soared on Thursday as Iran ramped up attacks on tankers, threatening to derail the global economy amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Things are going strong between Jack and Mel, however, as the couple weathers a few setbacks on their journey to finally adopt a baby from one of Mel's patients, Marley, though the unforeseen return of a past obstacle threatens to derail their plans once again.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026
The law is passed amidst a wave of violence toward public officials in the last year, including in Lafayette, Indiana, where a judge and his wife were shot in what prosecutors have alleged was an attempt to derail an upcoming trial.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail
Verb
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Players and coaches have consistently complained about a lack of traction, in addition to concerns about the LED lights being distracting and lines being hard to make out on the floor.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
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Sitting in the audience, Styles' mere presence repeatedly distracted the actor as the camera kept panning away from him for the beloved pop-rock star.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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So, changing your eating patterns can disturb it and affect blood sugar control.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
8 Mar. 2026
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Shuttle buses often pause to allow passengers to observe animals without disturbing them.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That didn’t bother the three roaches crawling on the floor by a carbon dioxide tank inside the storage room behind the office.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
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Other clips don’t even bother rendering a proper baby.—
Joe Wilkins Published Mar 12,
Futurism,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For the first time, there appears to be a commitment that Foxboro will incur no cost and will not have to worry about reimbursement processes.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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Don’t worry—there’s something for every type of traveler.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Vogue,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This post and story should be immediately retracted by ABC News for providing false information to intentionally alarm the American people.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 2026
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Yet the price of gas seems likely to keep rising, which alarms Republicans.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Legislators in 16 states have introduced bills this year that would limit education technology, or ed tech, in public schools, spurred by a growing grassroots movement of parents concerned about the amount of time their children are spending on screens.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
10 Mar. 2026
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Storm chances will gradually decrease after midnight; the most concerning window for severe storms and tornadoes is Tuesday evening.—
Albert Ramon,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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What unsettled me more than the cat was this man’s patience.—
Jennifer Wolfgram,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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Your 4th House of Traditions and your 7th House of Relations are both potentially unsettled by this emotional Moon-Neptune square.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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About 30 minutes into the flight, passengers said flight attendants began running up and down the aisle appearing agitated before making a startling announcement.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Use your hands to agitate the greens (this will dislodge any stubborn bits of grit or dirt), then drain and spin dry.—
Riley Wofford,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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