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
Too often a one-inning implosion derailed him last year.
—
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2026
The plan, however, is derailed when the two begin to develop real feelings for each other.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
And it doesn’t get derailed by one or two bits of misfortune on any one night.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 15 May 2026
That could change and getting Parsons, tight end Tucker Kraft, right tackle Zach Tom and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt back will certainly help after their season-ending injuries last season derailed the team’s legitimate Super Bowl pursuit.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 15 May 2026
The World Cup was suspended due to World War II, but nothing else has derailed the staging of this event since 1930.
—Franklin Leonard, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026
Trump had originally been scheduled to travel to Beijing in March, but the visit was derailed by his and Israel’s war with Iran.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
The 35-year-old actor originally played youth soccer in Mexico before a knee injury at 15 derailed his professional ambitions.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
What looked to be a perfect third inning was derailed by a throwing error from shortstop Hyeseong Kim.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2026
The plan, however, is derailed when the two begin to develop real feelings for each other.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
And it doesn’t get derailed by one or two bits of misfortune on any one night.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 15 May 2026
That could change and getting Parsons, tight end Tucker Kraft, right tackle Zach Tom and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt back will certainly help after their season-ending injuries last season derailed the team’s legitimate Super Bowl pursuit.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 15 May 2026
The World Cup was suspended due to World War II, but nothing else has derailed the staging of this event since 1930.
—Franklin Leonard, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026
Trump had originally been scheduled to travel to Beijing in March, but the visit was derailed by his and Israel’s war with Iran.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
The 35-year-old actor originally played youth soccer in Mexico before a knee injury at 15 derailed his professional ambitions.
—Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
What looked to be a perfect third inning was derailed by a throwing error from shortstop Hyeseong Kim.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailed
Verb
-
Rather than acting out on the anger, take a calming moment with some deep breaths, and think about the possibility that your partner was possibly distracted or stressed out.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
But during the aufguss ceremony at BASIN Glacial Waters, people smiled and laughed and swayed to the music, and Kyan’s dance-like towel moves distracted me from the discomfort of the heat.—
Jen Murphy,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
She has also been disturbed by the increase in what looks to her like a lack of trust in science, as seen in falling vaccination rates and rising instances of diseases like measles.—
Deepti Hajela,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
When to Plant Watermelon Seeds Most seed catalogs recommend direct sowing watermelon seeds into gardens or pots because watermelons don’t like to have their roots disturbed.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Blanchette said the comment alarmed him and immediately turned his focus to Frew’s safety.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
Democracy advocates and Democratic Party leaders say they are alarmed by the denialism but say the issue is likely to take a back seat to other voter concerns such as affordability.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Shuter is not bothered by such pesky details.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
12 May 2026
-
One thing that bothered me in my career as a stylist was the cliché that the inspiration of the show is a certain period, and the designer did not see certain races in the casting.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Patients were concerned too, and some asked Hulse what would happen to the new clinic after her team left.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Vets weigh in on why dogs start grazing and when to be concerned.—
Diana Bocco,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Still, Davies is worried the demand for compute far outstrips capabilities to repurpose waste heat, and could lead to more data center construction that would further burden environmental capacity versus extend it.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
-
Those earlier polls left some Democratic Party leaders worried that Democrats might get shut out entirely from the general election.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Starmer also has angered supporters with attempts to cut welfare spending, some of which were reversed after Labour revolts.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
-
Buyers were angered after finding out that the new features would be released later than expected, the filing said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The Pistons also were plagued by turnovers (20 that led to 25 Cavaliers points) and fouling (Cleveland attempted 22 more free throws).—
Darnell Mayberry,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
The new facility replaced the detention center at 1300 Cherry Street, which is more than four decades old and had fallen into partial disrepair and had long been plagued by unsafe overcrowding and allegations of abuse and mismanagement.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailed. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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