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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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 derailed In fact, almost 60% of Gen Z and Millennials say social spending, which includes the occasional dining experience and vacation with friends, has derailed their financial plans, according to a 2025 survey from Ally. — Itzel Franco, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026 The additional trial in adults 65 and older stems from a controversy that nearly derailed the vaccine’s approval. — Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 18 Sep. 2026 After injuries and ineffectiveness derailed his season, the Cubs are trying to sell Cabrera on being this year’s version of Roki Sasaki, who suddenly clicked out of the bullpen during the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series run. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 Both northbound and southbound Dalrock Road are closed between Chiesa Road and Sunrise Drive after five railcars derailed near Dalrock and Chiesa, according to Rowlett police. — S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026 And now each of those meetings are being derailed by combating misinformation about vaccines. — Roshan N. Bransden, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026 Injuries derailed Jackson’s 2025 season after a lights out first three games. — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026 The show follows 16-year-old Teagan Tao (Miku Martineau), a single sculler whose entire life is derailed after her father, David (Byron Lawson), a wealthy hotelier, is caught stealing money from his clients. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 Ross started her athletic career as a gymnast for a decade but an injury derailed that career. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailed

Verb

My parents were tense and distracted while my siblings were scared.

— Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Even Love Story’s Kelly got distracted by his own reflection, pausing in front of one mirror to zhuzh his curls before moving on to the next dazzling display.

— Simone Cook, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of distracted

Verb

Clean Regularly Spiders don’t like to be disturbed, so an unused area of your porch is likely to be attractive real estate.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026
Yellow jackets are often the most aggressive, especially when scavenging for food or if their ground nests are disturbed.

— Nick Perry, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of disturbed

Verb

Americans appear increasingly alarmed by the technology,with 7 in 10 polled in March opposing local construction of data centers that power AI technology, according to a Gallup survey.

— Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2026
Nonetheless, the testing has shown continued drop in US scores over the last decade, that have alarmed many educationalists.

— Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of alarmed

Verb

She was treated with such indifference by the Bordens that, with the exception of Abby, no one bothered to learn her name, calling her by the name of their last servant, Maggie, instead.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
What’s bothered me, though, is how its backers have anchored their messaging around a lot of misleading generalizations about the state of college sports.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of bothered

Verb

Take what happened during the Covid-19 pandemic— the Fed, then led by Jerome Powell, was concerned that the pandemic would lead to massive layoffs.

— Scott Horsley, NPR, 19 Sep. 2026
On the other side is Sharaf with a record of 4-2-0; there is reason to be concerned that Sharaf struggles in this match.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of concerned

Verb

The divergence has traders worried that, if the few stocks driving the gains start to falter, the broader market will be in trouble.

— Fred Imbert, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026
Rose spoke to former air traffic controller Dave Riley, who wasn't worried that the AI tool would lead to problems because humans would still oversee safety.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of worried

Verb

With local cops, plagued by rumors of departmental misdeeds, looking for a peaceful solution and federal authorities contemplating extreme action, the situation escalates.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
That gave North Crowley a 35-28 lead with 19 seconds remaining in the second quarter, despite a first half plagued with penalties.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of plagued

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“Derailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailed. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of derailed

verb

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