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 For the third time in a year, his young career has been temporarily derailed by an injury — this time, a thumb ailment that will sideline him into August. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026 But those plans were derailed on Thursday when Egyptian authorities blocked the ship, the Scarlet Lady, from entering its waters at the last minute, according to Atlantis Events, days after the vessel was refused entry to Turkey. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 11 July 2026 But a sluggish start quickly derailed his round, as bogeys on two of his first three holes dropped him behind the cut line. — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026 It wasn’t meant to be, though, as an injury setback derailed the then-23-year-old’s 2025 season and put his big league dreams on hold. — Fisher Isbell, AJC.com, 11 July 2026 After injuries derailed her promising elite career and the sport’s abusive culture robbed her of her joy, Ohashi reached superstar status while rediscovering her love of the sport with UCLA. — Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 Her plans are derailed when a mysterious fluid begins flowing from her navel and transforms into a perfect but uncontrollable duplicate of herself. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 July 2026 One year, my family’s Yom Kippur break-fast meal was very nearly derailed when my dad got into an argument with one of our guests about the Rosenbergs. — Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026 Thereby hangs Colloff’s spellbinding tale of a justice system derailed by biases. — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailed

Verb

Although the extramarital affair made headlines at the time of Schettino’s trial, there was no evidence presented to say that he was distracted as a result of Cemortan’s presence.

— Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Roschelle had seemed distracted lately, going to a bunch of doctors’ appointments, talking to Sapphire late at night.

— Jessica Contrera, New Yorker, 13 July 2026

Definition of distracted

Verb

As Jonas tries to get work done upstairs, he is repeatedly disturbed by his mother, who is obnoxiously kvelling about his scientific breakthroughs to a neighbor in the yard.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 18 July 2026
No matter how popular a priest is, we must be disturbed that the same man is being repeatedly accused.

— Daily Southtown, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

Definition of disturbed

Verb

The idea of abandoning the whole schedule alarmed several health officials, including then-FDA commissioner Marty Makary and Tracy Beth Høeg, one of his top deputies, four sources said.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
The prospect of mass deportations to a country reeling from deadly gang warfare, a deepening humanitarian emergency and record numbers of people who have fled their homes has alarmed Haitians at home and abroad.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026

Definition of alarmed

Verb

The knee has mostly bothered Ohtani on the mound, rather than at the plate.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 18 July 2026
As of the time of this writing, almost four months after its publication, the text still contains a typo in its opening lines, suggesting to me that no one close to the author has even bothered to read it with care.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026

Definition of bothered

Verb

But American lawmakers are concerned and are sounding the alarm that commercially available adtech data and mobile communication networks aren’t secure enough to prevent that kind of spying.

— Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026
The 911 center took a call Wednesday night from a parent concerned that their adult child may be in danger.

— Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

Definition of concerned

Verb

Earlier this year, investors worried artificial intelligence would disrupt the industry.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 16 July 2026
But fighting that erupted in the Middle East days later upended that trajectory, pushing bond yields and mortgage rates higher as investors worried the conflict would keep oil prices and inflation elevated.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Definition of worried

Verb

Liam Gallagher continued his longtime legacy of talking crap about other artists with his recap of this year’s World Cup halftime show, tweeting out various annoyances that plagued him.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Both Boeing and Airbus have been plagued by supply crunches following the Covid-19 pandemic, and have struggled to meet demand for new aircraft from customers.

— Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 20 July 2026

Definition of plagued

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“Derailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailed. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of derailed

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