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 The height of hurricane season looms, and Gulf Coast refineries have in the past been derailed by major hurricanes hitting the Gulf Coast. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 Leading the way on offense will be two players whose junior seasons were derailed by injuries, running back Ollie Steiner and wide receiver Jack Burger. — Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 On June 10, 1971, an Amtrak train derailed near Tonti, about 250 miles southwest of Chicago. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 But injuries derailed Max’s career as a high school quarterback. — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 For a team whose 2025 season was derailed by relentless push-back of their interior line, the situation is unquestionably inauspicious. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026 But, when Coll meets a writer who’s similarly interested in the town’s legacy, his plans get derailed. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Injuries have derailed him since then, with Minnesota becoming his fifth team in four years. — ABC News, 17 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailed

Verb

Kiser’s husband, Brady Kiser, said he had been briefly distracted while watching Trigg while his wife was away.

— Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026
Debbie intervenes to defuse the tension, then gets distracted by the presence of her nemesis, Cha Cha.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of distracted

Verb

Terrified Jewish voters—alarmed by progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s anti-Zionist rhetoric—are fleeing to Republican Mike Rogers for self-preservation.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Beau Woods, a former adviser to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Boeing’s Industry Cyber Technical Council, was alarmed by the findings.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of alarmed

Verb

Parents have been concerned about the school since the summer when executive director David Hussey and assistant principal in charge of athletics Jason Camp were ousted.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
The investment bank said that while some investors might be concerned about the company’s investment spending, such fears are overdone.

— Michael Bloom, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of concerned

Verb

The two women who won jury trials in their lawsuits against the county are angered that the county has opted to appeal.

— Sean Emery, Oc Register, 12 Aug. 2026
Public backlash is prompting San Diego to reopen 13 restrooms in Mission Bay Park this Friday after a six-week closure during the heart of summer that angered city residents and tourists.

— David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of angered

Verb

Committee delays The county formed a committee, the Advisory Meeting on Public School Capacity, that was supposed to figure out how to fix the problem, but it's been plagued by delays filling its seats and only met for the first time last month.

— Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
His stint with the Bills was plagued by injuries and a Dallas domestic violence case that led to a four-game suspension.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of plagued

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“Derailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailed. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of derailed

verb

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