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
Over the last few years, Blackhawks management thought Dach had the potential to be a top-six power forward and was on the cusp on doing so, but injuries derailed him each time.
—
Scott Powers, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Towns want 'local control' over policy Allowing the state to manage rulemaking, like zoning, was the main sticking point that derailed HB 5002.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
But during a critical semifinal match in 1992, a shoulder injury derailed his ambitions.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 9 Oct. 2025
There’s also a concern that California’s efforts could be derailed by a federal government controlled by Republicans.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
The market appeared to be derailed by a report from online news outlet The Information that questioned whether one of the key players in the recent AI runup, Oracle, has the ability to successfully finance its commitment to buy chips from another AI heavyweight, Nvidia.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
The Dolphins’ poor draft-day trade record — except for the Howard and the Jakeem Grant trade hours later — resonated again Sunday, when Savaiinaea was beaten easily on a sack that derailed Miami’s final possession, and Jaylen Wright was a healthy scratch.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
However, the combination of transfer portal exits and compounding injuries across the board has derailed the first half of Albin’s first season.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
Yes, that Reese Witherspoon has teamed up with New York Times best-selling author Harlan Coben for her debut novel, which follows Maggie McCabe, a brilliant Army combat surgeon whose career has been derailed by personal tragedy.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Scott Powers, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Towns want 'local control' over policy Allowing the state to manage rulemaking, like zoning, was the main sticking point that derailed HB 5002.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
But during a critical semifinal match in 1992, a shoulder injury derailed his ambitions.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 9 Oct. 2025
There’s also a concern that California’s efforts could be derailed by a federal government controlled by Republicans.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
The market appeared to be derailed by a report from online news outlet The Information that questioned whether one of the key players in the recent AI runup, Oracle, has the ability to successfully finance its commitment to buy chips from another AI heavyweight, Nvidia.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
The Dolphins’ poor draft-day trade record — except for the Howard and the Jakeem Grant trade hours later — resonated again Sunday, when Savaiinaea was beaten easily on a sack that derailed Miami’s final possession, and Jaylen Wright was a healthy scratch.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
However, the combination of transfer portal exits and compounding injuries across the board has derailed the first half of Albin’s first season.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Oct. 2025
Yes, that Reese Witherspoon has teamed up with New York Times best-selling author Harlan Coben for her debut novel, which follows Maggie McCabe, a brilliant Army combat surgeon whose career has been derailed by personal tragedy.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailed
Verb
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But she was distracted by a nagging thought.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Or maybe we’re just easily distracted by tasks like building deer stands in the back yard, or looking for that missing purple egg.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But their peace is disturbed when a trio of white vampires descend upon the place, leading to a night of bloody violence.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
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Ed idolized Augusta and was disturbed that Henry, who often criticized and argued against her strict teachings, had much less admiration for her.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The United Kingdom and India conducted their first-ever dual aircraft carrier operation during a bilateral military exercise in the Indian Ocean this week, as both nations have been alarmed by China's increasingly assertive behavior across the Indo-Pacific region.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
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Nigin told her later that, yes, she had been alarmed by the cut but had resolved to check on her students.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The elbow that bothered him for days after being hit by a foul tip earlier this season.—
Brittany Ghiroli,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
These shoes didn’t have the best arch support, but that wasn’t something that bothered us when walking for short or long periods of time.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But people concerned about the health effects of chemicals see the agency’s retreat from environmental protections as a betrayal.—
Sharon Lerner,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
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Sporting director Richard Hughes and head coach Arne Slot also decided against sending Vitezslav Jaros on loan last season as they were concerned an injury to Alisson would leave the squad short, a decision that proved justified.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And the 12-day war in June left Iran likely no longer enriching uranium for its nuclear program, which the West long has worried could be weaponized.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
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Few of them shared the Menendez name and worried that audio would allow coworkers, friends or curious neighbors to identify them by their voice.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Indeed, after the pandemic—which initially decimated sales but then led to a surge in business that overwhelmed REI’s supply chain and operations—Artz made moves that angered many employees.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
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The real estate developer who angered Benbrook residents this past summer with his plan to build in a floodplain has been indicted on felony charges in Parker County for alleged misappropriation of funds and theft.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The production was plagued by hurricanes, tsunami warnings, stinging jellyfish and several injuries — including Costner, who almost died while riding out a storm stranded atop a mast after his safety line had snapped.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Oct. 2025
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Abdilahi made the case for recognition, describing Somaliland’s people as distinct from the rest of Somalia, which has been plagued by instability for decades.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Derailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailed. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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