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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of derail
Russian trains derail The drones were far from the only incidents over the weekend.
—
Charles Maynes, NPR, 2 June 2025
Before an ankle injury derailed his season last year, Robinson was on pace for a historic offensive rebounding campaign and was widely considered the league’s best on the glass.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025
Lack of alignment on cultural elements—like corporate values, vision for the future, the attitudes and behaviors that drive outcomes—can derail even the most promising acquisition.
—Steve Swinney, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Pham’s dad did eventually support his son’s hopes — which were almost derailed again by a bureaucratic error.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for derail
Charles Maynes, NPR, 2 June 2025
Before an ankle injury derailed his season last year, Robinson was on pace for a historic offensive rebounding campaign and was widely considered the league’s best on the glass.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025
Lack of alignment on cultural elements—like corporate values, vision for the future, the attitudes and behaviors that drive outcomes—can derail even the most promising acquisition.
—Steve Swinney, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Pham’s dad did eventually support his son’s hopes — which were almost derailed again by a bureaucratic error.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for derail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail
Verb
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Sending in the National Guard was an obvious military flex, designed to to bait Angelenos while perhaps distracting Americans from Trump’s far greater troubles.—
Mary McNamara,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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The upshot is, an ADAS, such as Tesla FSD and robotaxi, does not get distracted and is laser-focused on the road.—
Brooke Crothers,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Verb
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Create Do-Not-Disturb Prompts To Discourage Interruptions Experiment with reducing your availability to interruptions by following specific practices that signal to others you shouldn’t be disturbed.—
Caroline Ceniza-Levine,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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Perhaps your time off request isn’t approved, or your vacation plans have been disturbed by your colleagues.—
Liz Simmons,
StyleCaster,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Understandably, the online narrative bothered the director as well.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2025
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Whatever discomfort the 38-year-old was feeling didn’t appear to bother him thereafter.—
David Close,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
Verb
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These trends are causing 67% of the workforce to worry about the economy’s impact on their current jobs, according to the Workforce Pulse Survey from Remote.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Market volatility has enraged Democrats and worried many Republicans as the country experiences whiplash from tariff announcements, leaving many people worried about their finances.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2025
Verb
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Her red Chevy Avalanche was found abandoned with windows rolled down -- a detail that immediately alarmed her family.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
6 June 2025
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Trump’s sudden rebuke has alarmed some conservative court-watchers, who warn the president’s new approach could fracture a judicial pipeline built over decades.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Having said that, returning from a serious ankle injury is absolutely something to be concerned about.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2025
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Reports of unrest outside the city, including in Paramount, are deeply concerning.—
Jack Moore,
ABC News,
8 June 2025
Verb
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Trading at lofty valuations, even a slight miss on the revenue forecast was enough to unsettle investors.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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Today, movies and TV intended for the biggest audience possible often water down their storytelling and generalize in order to avoid anything that might challenge, frighten or unsettle the audience.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Verb
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One group, led by Paul as well as Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Mike Lee of Utah, is agitating for deeper spending cuts, noting that the bill as written is projected to balloon federal deficits.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
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The dryer balls will bounce around and agitate the filling in your duvet, allowing for more efficient drying and constant fluffing.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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