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 The problem was that thesis got derailed by a temporary loss of momentum in AI stocks – and that derailment was magnified by leverage, which magnifies both gains and losses. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 Sanford appeared to be on a trajectory for higher office when a very public extramarital affair in 2009 derailed that. — Gavin Jackson, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026 But Bridgewater’s career was derailed, as a starter at least, when a horrific knee injury led to a left knee dislocation and a torn ACL during a practice just before the start of the 2016 season. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Perry apparently has two former All-Stars in mind, one who has already endeared himself to the organization and another who seeks a return to the NBA after a once-promising career was derailed by injuries. — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 5 Aug. 2026 Weeks after a 103-year-old British roller coaster derailed mid-ride, a double-looping steel roller coaster in Texas appeared to experience a similar incident, per imagery shared online. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026 The meeting came as Washington and Kyiv worked to revive peace efforts that had been derailed by the war in Iran. — Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Within minutes of our meeting her, however, her life is derailed by two pieces of news. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026 In June, Brittney and Cherelle opened up to PEOPLE about how Brittney’s detainment derailed their plans of starting a family. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailed

Verb

Debbie intervenes to defuse the tension, then gets distracted by the presence of her nemesis, Cha Cha.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Rodriguez said this can be caused by people being on their phone, distracted while driving.

— Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of distracted

Verb

Along Fence Lines and Retaining Walls Poison ivy grows best in out-of-the-way spaces that aren’t disturbed regularly.

— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026
Even when the material was strongly disturbed, the electronic order rebuilt itself smoothly across the sample.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of disturbed

Verb

Arizona officials were alarmed at the cuts federal officials are calling for in the three states in the river’s lower basin, the Arizona Republic has reported.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Public health authorities may be especially alarmed by possible tularemia cases because the bacterium that causes the illness, Francisella tularensis, is a Tier 1 bioterrorism threat.

— Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of alarmed

Verb

Stocks rose after the report, as investors who were concerned the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates breathed a sigh of relief.

— Steve Kopack, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
By that reading, this week’s slide might have had less to do with investors concerned about AI capital expenditures post-earnings, and more with investors taking profits before the event.

— Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of concerned

Verb

Within four months, the other members of the selectorate, worried that Beria was a threat, arrested him in a committee session and subsequently executed him.

— Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
Advertisers stayed away, worried that ads would appear next to antisemitic posts, misinformation, and other objectionable content.

— Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of worried

Verb

They were angered by Armenia's agreement to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan and normalize relations with its neighbor after being locked for decades in territorial disputes.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026
The two exchanged words, and a Gilman shove angered Walker, who tackled him to the ground.

— Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of angered

Verb

Ireland’s museum sector is reportedly plagued by precarious contracts, low pay, unpaid labor, and toxic workplace cultures, driving burnout, excluding talent, and risking the loss of vital institutional knowledge.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Trump has consistently blamed vandals for the botched renovation of the Reflecting Pool, which has been plagued by a peeling liner and resurfacing algae.

— Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of plagued

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“Derailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailed. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of derailed

verb

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