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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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
Just like Stephenie and Tom getting voted out, just derailed everything.
—
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately for the RSNs and the teams under contract to Main Street, the endemic conditions that derailed Diamond haven’t abated.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Jan. 2026
An injury derailed that attempt.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Three years ago, sale discussions were derailed by public outcry over secret discussions and a potential sale of the land to an industrial buyer.
—Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
The war in Ukraine derailed those goals; Ghirelli went ahead with the deal but took a step back.
—Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The Greenland controversy derailed those plans.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
On Tuesday, a commuter train derailed in Gelida, near Barcelona, killing the driver and injuring 37 people.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
The collision took place late Sunday when a high-speed train operated by rail company Iryo, travelling from Malaga to Madrid, derailed near Adamuz in the southern Andalusia region.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately for the RSNs and the teams under contract to Main Street, the endemic conditions that derailed Diamond haven’t abated.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Jan. 2026
An injury derailed that attempt.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Three years ago, sale discussions were derailed by public outcry over secret discussions and a potential sale of the land to an industrial buyer.
—Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
The war in Ukraine derailed those goals; Ghirelli went ahead with the deal but took a step back.
—Giacomo Tognini, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The Greenland controversy derailed those plans.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
On Tuesday, a commuter train derailed in Gelida, near Barcelona, killing the driver and injuring 37 people.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
The collision took place late Sunday when a high-speed train operated by rail company Iryo, travelling from Malaga to Madrid, derailed near Adamuz in the southern Andalusia region.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailed
Verb
-
This is a president who is distracted by things that don't matter to the American people at a moment where the American people are in crisis.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Even the most emotionally invested of us can get distracted.—
Stuart Berman,
Pitchfork,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
So, in one way or another, everyone is disturbed here.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
As a Black oncologist, I was deeply disturbed by this data.—
Yehoda Martei,
STAT,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While this alarmed some users, this type of intrusive data harvesting is common on social media apps.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
27 Jan. 2026
-
For those frustrated and alarmed by the killings and ICE’s aggressive tactics, the DMB said that their charity, Bama Works, have made donations to the ACLU and the ACLU of Minnesota.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But something bothered her about the name.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Schultz said he is not bothered by the criticism marking his seven-year tenure at the $301,000-a-year post.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Analysts have been concerned about the maturity and slowing sales of these popular brands.—
Sasirekha Subramanian,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
There’s a wry grace to this misadventure-palooza, forged in the key of melancholic mid-career Woody Allen but with variations on those themes which achieve their own pointedly funny clarity, especially where Ubeimar Rios’ all-time portrayal of a sad sack is concerned.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Apple reports record iPhone sales Apple reported its best-ever iPhone sales — due largely to growth in China — but its shares stayed flat as investors worried about rising costs.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The committee is already split between those worried about persistent inflation, who’d like to keep rates unchanged, and those who think that recent upticks in unemployment point to a stumbling economy that needs lower interest rates to bolster hiring.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The remark angered lawmakers on both sides of the aisle at the time, and it was quickly walked back.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Opposition to the war grew in Australia along with the Palestinian death toll, and last September the government angered Israeli leaders by supporting other like-minded Western nations, including Canada and the United Kingdom, by formally recognizing Palestinian statehood.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And the Rams were unable to overcome a special teams miscue, a theme that plagued them throughout the season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Rodman was plagued by injury in 2025, using the first half of the year to recover from a lingering back issue.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailed. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
