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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Example Sentences

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 The end of the segment got fully derailed as Sheinelle and Leslie kept joking while Bush Hager tried to segue to an ad break. — Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026 The lawsuit, filed in Oakland federal court, threatens to derail Paramount CEO David Ellison's bid to transform his company into a ⁠major rival of Netflix and Disney. — Reuters, USA Today, 20 July 2026 The thought of another dead calf is daunting, and can derail a budget for months. — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026 And Johnson’s gambit to attach the SAVE America Act to important legislation risks not only derailing bipartisan policy but another government shutdown, too. — Sorelle Wyckoff Gaynor, The Conversation, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for derail

Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail

Verb

Authorities allege Ivy and Mayhand distracted employees by browsing merchandise while Wiley sat at a consultation desk and stole two pieces of jewelry before the trio fled.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
No Country for Mothers is a documentary from Moms First, Culture House Media, and French Tuck Media that investigates the lies used throughout history to distract and divide American mothers.

— Julia Korn, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of distract

Verb

Plus, Bluetooth headphone pairing lets students watch TV late at night without disturbing roommates.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 22 July 2026
Environmental groups fear that breeding grounds could be disturbed by a variety of things including vehicle traffic and unchecked development.

— Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of disturb

Verb

While supporters say this is necessary for the UC to remain a leader in STEM fields, critics worry these tests are biased against low-income and minority students.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
Substantive verses are new terrain for Lacy, who, as a younger writer, worried more about hooks and beats.

— Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 22 July 2026

Definition of worry

Verb

But many doctors are alarmed by a craze that has thousands of people injecting themselves with substances of dubious origin and whose long-term effects are unknown.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 20 July 2026
In Orange County, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County maintains infectious-disease surveillance and disease-reporting services for residents and visitors, which is exactly how local systems stay ready without alarming the public.

— Luis E. Caso Vega, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2026

Definition of alarm

Verb

Patel arrived in Jakarta shortly after talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet concerning joint efforts to combat international online scam operations that cheat victims out of billions of dollars annually.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
Advertisement Steve Swope, another Coweta County resident, relies on wellwater, and is concerned that the construction of the data center could damage septic tanks or leak into the groundwater.

— Simmone Shah, Time, 22 July 2026

Definition of concern

Verb

Baldur is more circumspect, irked at having temporarily lost his boat in the mishap, and unsettled by Helge’s teasing manner, which could be interpreted as either adversarial or flirtatious.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026
Rents and homelessness are at all-time highs, subways are unsettled, deodorant is locked up.

— Ryder Kessler, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026

Definition of unsettle

Browse Nearby Words

deputy

derail

derailed

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“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of derail

verb

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