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 Untreated water, poor hand hygiene and contaminated food can still derail any trip. — Elaine Reno, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026 Funding and shipbuilding capacity could still derail those plans. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026 Not everyone is worried yields will derail the bull market, however. — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 But his career has been derailed by multiple back and knee surgeries, car accidents and pain pill dependence. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for derail

Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail

Verb

While the behavior was distracting, Osaka hopes that bringing tennis to a new audience overall will benefit the sport, as long as new fans learn the rules and etiquette of spectating.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
While the President tries to distract Americans from his disastrous war in Iran, gas prices keep soaring.

— Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of distract

Verb

The only way Paul managed a point the whole game was with a 136 mph bullet to the corner that Alcaraz didn’t even bother moving for.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Ohtani reported that the area from his biceps to his neck was bothering him Wednesday night, Roberts said.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of bother

Verb

But were the majority of Berlin’s citizens worried about what all this might mean in the long run?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
The news, which prompted Treasury yields to fall, came after days of headlines worrying about a global sell-off in government bonds.

— Matt Peterson,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of worry

Verb

OpenAI’s use of a new technique that obscures AI agents’ chain of thought is alarming the research community.

— Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2026
In New Jersey, the op-ed authors were alarmed by the bond’s staggering price and the impact that would have on the state.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of alarm

Verb

The optimism around Cincinnati about the Bengals in 2026 has crossed the threshold from cautious to concerning.

— Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Much of it concerns Landau’s relationship with eventual wife Nora, played by actress and TV presenter Radmila Schegoleva.

— Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of concern

Verb

However, his work rate caught the eye, especially his desire to track back into midfield and unsettle the Danish midfielders, as well as his constant desire to run channels.

— Rob Tanner, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Wolverines have a wide physical advantage, but makeup of the offensive line is unsettled and QB Bryce Underwood hasn't run Jason Beck's offense in a game.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of unsettle

Verb

By mid-morning, bees continued to fly around as city workers did their best to cut the tree without getting stung or agitating the hives any further.

— Ross Guidotti, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
After many decades of organizing, speaking, writing, agitating — and weathering the constant controversy that courted — Steinem kept going.

— Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of agitate

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deputy

derail

derailed

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“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of derail

verb

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