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 But consecutive holding penalties on Cody Mauch and Graham Barton derailed the drive and McLaughlin kicked a 28-yard field goal to tie it. — CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026 That work was derailed when Kennedy fired the entire committee. — Mike Stobbe, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026 In some places, injuries are piling up and threatening to derail teams before the season gets out of its first month. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026 Kim was a golf prodigy and rising star until a 2012 achilles injury derailed not just his career, but his life. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for derail

Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail

Verb

His philosophy posits that nature should be the focus of any space, and this is true—trappings frame and do not distract from the views.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Those moments shouldn't distract from the fact that Las Vegas looked every bit as good as the Chiefs for most of the game, and at certain points, better.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of distract

Verb

Baldwin alleged that decision was just one part of a pattern of disturbing prosecutorial abuses, including presenting false information to the grand jury, failing to disclose two firearms reports, and filing an unlawful gun enhancement.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
But the death of Khamenei eliminated the regime’s paramount figure, disturbing the existing balance, and the war is systematically privileging the parts of the state responsible for survival over everything else.

— Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of disturb

Verb

Investors have grown increasingly alarmed over the eurozone’s debt burden, moribund economic growth, and persistent inflation.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Ayesha Bell Hardaway, a former prosecutor who is a professor of law at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, is alarmed by the dramatic variation across the country.

— Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of alarm

Verb

In turn, an interpretation may report that no concerning variant was found without making clear that the relevant gene was not fully examined.

— Euan Ashley, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
Emirati prosecutors opened an investigation after a co-pilot stabbed his captain mid-flight, asserting jurisdiction over a crime that also concerns Saudi Arabia and Israel.

— Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of concern

Verb

The war unsettled the region, paved the way for the rise of ISIS, and triggered a cascade of violence that continues to this day.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
When police spoke to Miller’s friends and family, several individuals mentioned feeling odd or unsettled about Randolph and Miller’s interactions.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of unsettle

Verb

The poorer the air being inhaled by children in Hackney, the more regularly the dust was agitated and the thicker the storm and richer the color inside the box.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Hold both sides of the duvet and gently agitate the filling in small sections to make sure that the water and soap thoroughly soak through.

— Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of agitate

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 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of derail

verb

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