DERAILED Synonyms: 92 Similar and Opposite Words

derailed

verb

past tense of derail

as in distracted

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 derailed Stacy Keach, an American stage actor who became best known for playing scruffy private eye Mike Hammer on TV and whose career was nearly derailed after he was imprisoned in 1984 for trying to smuggle cocaine into Britain, died Tuesday. — Mark Kennedy The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026 But O’Meara doesn’t get the sense the public sees Depp as persona non grata, even though the actor’s career has been derailed by personal drama, including domestic abuse allegations leveled by Heard. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 10 Nov. 2026 In 2015, a Washington-to-New York Amtrak train, a run plenty of Baltimoreans know well, derailed in Philadelphia after entering a curve at more than twice the speed limit, killing eight. — Eric D. Goodman, Baltimore Sun, 10 Nov. 2026 With the economy ailing, effective unification was derailed, particularly as Saleh favored his own support network with the limited resources and left behind Beidh and the YSP. — Manfred W. Wenner All, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Nov. 2026 Corporate executives whose romantic liaisons have derailed their careers are common enough. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2026 Several carriages were derailed after one train collided with the rear of another between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations in Giza, near the capital Cairo, the Egyptian National Railways Authority said in a statement. — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2026 Photos from the scene show several carriages had derailed and fallen down an embankment. — Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026 Lloyd launched his solo career with the 1979 release of Alchemy, but struggles with substance abuse derailed his career in the years that followed. — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 7 Nov. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailed

Verb

Now, pressed to maintain its influence in Pyongyang amid a growing Russian–North Korean security relationship—and with the rest of the world distracted by other geopolitical crises—China has gone silent on the issue.

— Stephen E. Biegun, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2026
Investigators do not believe Hackett was distracted, impaired or speeding.

— Christopher Harris, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of distracted

Verb

That change, long sought by Moscow, has alarmed European leaders and placed a question mark over NATO’s future role.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2026
That change, long sought by Moscow, has alarmed European leaders and placed a question mark on NATO’s future role.

— Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2026

Definition of alarmed

Verb

De Ridder, the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason player of the year, wasn't bothered by the double-digit deficit in the second half.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Nov. 2026
In other words, the era of the nimble, short-wheelbase 4×4 is effectively over—only nobody has really bothered to say as much out loud.

— Byron Hurd, The Drive, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of bothered

Verb

And voters in both parties want to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks, concerned that lawmakers are using privileged information to enrich themselves.

— Thomas Kahn, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
In the same poll, 81% of young Democrats, 67% of independents, and 60% of young Republicans said they were concerned.

— Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of concerned

Verb

Sonia Cotto, a 12-year resident of South Middle River, is among neighbors worried about what could come next after Covenant House purchased four nearby lots.

— Ted Scouten, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
Residents also worried about crime, insufficient parking and declining property values.

— Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of worried

Verb

Madigan’s downfall began with women angered by his handling of #MeToo incidents involving his campaign and government staff in 2017 and 2018.

— Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
But others, particularly in Missouri, have been concerned and angered to see that their bills will soon go up, the second price hike for this year.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of angered

Verb

Leo's packed three-day itinerary in Uruguay includes a visit to a neighborhood plagued by gang violence, a Mass in Paysandú, around 230 miles from the capital, and another Mass in the city of Florida, about 60 miles from Montevideo.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
The Cybertruck was plagued from the get-go – from promises of its release in the late 2010s to its eventual rollout in 2023.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of plagued

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“Derailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailed. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of derailed

verb

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