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
-
For the last several months, wildlife experts have been alarmed by a large influx of dead and emaciated seabirds washing up on California beaches.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
Veterans of the Civil Rights Movement are alarmed by the speed of the rollbacks, noting that protections won through generations of sacrifice have been weakened in little more than a decade.—
Kim Chandler,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The Vedder Cup is a tongue-in-cheek attempt to pair the Padres and Mariners as rivals despite the two teams not having much reason to get all hot and bothered about a series.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
-
He has since been elected to the state Senate twice, in one of Iowa’s bluest areas; both times, no Republican bothered to run.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
17 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
-
But the evening quickly descended into chaos as fans angered by Nantes' relegation to the second division stormed the field.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
-
The delay angered rural Republicans, who wanted to see the farm bill passed.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Her excuse was that the robbery was a sign that Preston was plagued by bad luck.—
Sabrina Reed,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Despite that underlying tension, kids play on the street outside while the large family has a dynamic like any other — noisily squabbling, joking, or in the case of the matriarchal grandmother, Mariam (Hiam Abbass), preparing a meal in a kitchen plagued by constant utility outages.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailed. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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