DERAILING Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

derailing

verb

present participle of derail

as in bothering

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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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 derailing His filing instead describes the intervention as a way to prevent a potential dispute unique to Harwood from derailing the removal proceeding. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026 Ed Burke played a key role in derailing her 2019 campaign for mayor. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 The rulings wiped out the dreams of thousands of Italian descendants who had been hoping to achieve citizenship, derailing life plans and splitting families apart. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 At the same time, borrowers are reporting increasing problems and errors that are delaying or derailing their ability to maintain access to affordable repayment plan programs and student loan forgiveness. — Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 The analysts wrote that a common fear among investors is that the scale of infrastructure investment required for electrification becomes too expensive, derailing the sector’s growth. — Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 17 July 2026 And Johnson’s gambit to attach the SAVE America Act to important legislation risks not only derailing bipartisan policy but another government shutdown, too. — Sorelle Wyckoff Gaynor, The Conversation, 17 July 2026 He was struck by a car during his freshman year at Clemson University, derailing that season. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 11 July 2026 The back-and-forth risks derailing sensitive negotiations in the Pine Tree State that will determine who could appear on the ballot in Platner's place. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 8 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailing

Verb

Once your child starts spilling the beans about what’s bothering them, be understanding.

— Jenna Autuori-Dedic, Parents, 4 Aug. 2026
Hip still bothering Springs Springs lasted just four innings after issuing a season-high five walks, throwing 86 pitches — only 51% of them strikes — and gave up his 28th home run of the season, the most of any pitcher in the league.

— Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of bothering

Verb

Sulfur-rich gases reaching the upper atmosphere could reflect sunlight and temporarily cool the climate, disturbing rainfall and reducing harvests worldwide.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Some people think putting more and more effects is the best way to express ourselves for the audience, and some filmmakers just want to keep the balance without disturbing the original movie.

— Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of disturbing

Verb

In Orange County, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County maintains infectious-disease surveillance and disease-reporting services for residents and visitors, which is exactly how local systems stay ready without alarming the public.

— Luis E. Caso Vega, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2026
So, even just the unusual presence of an aircraft in this area made this incident alarming for one resident, Anna, who spoke to CNN near the scene.

— Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 26 June 2026

Definition of alarming

Verb

And for a generation scarred by Covid, wars, and the risk of AI, now worrying over job prospects, demand for safety, security, and certainty may be at an all-time high.

— Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
The same fans forced to move rows back — or even higher into the upper bowl — after years of never worrying about being priced out by the organization as Laney-Hamilton became Brooklyn’s first WNBA star.

— Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of worrying

Verb

Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich faces a fight for political survival in elections in October after angering his fellow West Bank settlers by voting not to punish ultra-Orthodox Jews who refuse to serve in the military.

— Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
And the thousandth cut came when Raman launched her mayoral campaign without first consulting the local DSA chapter, angering organizers who felt the race stretched their resources too thin.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026

Definition of angering

Verb

Too much precarity, too little success, and too much commitment to naturally-occurring outcomes means that openly agitating for more diversity can be a nonstarter.

— Adia Harvey Wingfield, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Instead of budgeting for $1,800 in tissues, the school insists on agitating parents all summer over crap like this.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of agitating

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“Derailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailing. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of derailing

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