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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Recent Examples of derailing
Throughout the finale, Niall continues to struggle with his identity, using chemsex parties as a crutch that are slowly but surely derailing his life.
—
Barry Levitt, Time, 29 May 2026
The broken wheel led to 10 train cars derailing, the accident report said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 22 May 2026
At one point early on, high levels of soil contaminants become a concern at fields across the region, almost derailing the whole season.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Cal Coast then accused SDCCU of intentionally derailing the merger without a valid cause.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
State AGs have notched some successes recently, temporarily derailing the merger of big broadcasters Nexstar and Tegna and obtaining a settlement from Live Nation.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Jet fuel costs have roughly doubled since the start of the war in Iran, derailing Spirit’s plans to emerge from its second bankruptcy reorganization since 2024.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Craving something sweet doesn’t have to mean derailing your health goals.
—Jennifer Berger, Verywell Health, 20 Apr. 2026
The team took hit after hit, injuries derailing their roster regularly with almost no reprieve across the six-month schedule.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Barry Levitt, Time, 29 May 2026
The broken wheel led to 10 train cars derailing, the accident report said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 22 May 2026
At one point early on, high levels of soil contaminants become a concern at fields across the region, almost derailing the whole season.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Cal Coast then accused SDCCU of intentionally derailing the merger without a valid cause.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
State AGs have notched some successes recently, temporarily derailing the merger of big broadcasters Nexstar and Tegna and obtaining a settlement from Live Nation.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Jet fuel costs have roughly doubled since the start of the war in Iran, derailing Spirit’s plans to emerge from its second bankruptcy reorganization since 2024.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Craving something sweet doesn’t have to mean derailing your health goals.
—Jennifer Berger, Verywell Health, 20 Apr. 2026
The team took hit after hit, injuries derailing their roster regularly with almost no reprieve across the six-month schedule.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailing
Verb
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The tears then started to flow, as Zheng took deep breaths and explained that the foot issue was to reapply tape to a foot blister that had been bothering her.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
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At the same time, the regime has stopped bothering to sell a narrative of national restoration or modernization to the rest of the country, which is losing enormous amounts of blood and treasure in the battlefields of Ukraine.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Verb
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People who attend the trial will also be prohibited from reacting, gesturing, wearing distracting clothing or otherwise disrupting the proceedings.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
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If anything, Horvath writes, ed tech broke American schools by pitching distracting multimedia to boost learning.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
Verb
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The spotted fish thrashes angrily, disturbing the waters so that the pool’s edge laps against the rock.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
Most were for assault of police officers while other allegations include theft, vandalism and disturbing the public order.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Verb
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While giving users information on how to conduct harmful activities could be concerning, the more worrying part is how the chatbots can egg users on, said Samuel Hunter, senior scientist and director of academic research at NCITE.—
Huo Jingnan,
NPR,
31 May 2026
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The play wasn’t particularly close and continued a concerning trend where a number of Red Sox runners have been thrown out at home recently.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The alerts were triggered by the severe thunderstorm moving through the area, alarming some residents who were unaware the city’s siren system now also goes off when a severe weather warning is issued by the National Weather Service.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
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Midway through my massage, the boat unmoored itself and set sail—setting off an initially alarming vibrating bed and whirring engine noise.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Before worrying about advanced technology, look at your foundation.—
Boris Dzhingarov,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Lindsay is very real for worrying about her pit stains.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The Star, which also looked into the killing, revealed that Jordan’s associations with organized crime figures, as well as his apparent disregard for angering them, likely contributed to his death.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
1 June 2026
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In the biblical Tower of Babel story, humans are driven by hubris to try to create a tower tall enough to touch the sky, angering God in the process.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
25 May 2026
Verb
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At this point, those agitating against the merger might see their most realistic option being to lobby for conditions on the merger, such as job-protection guarantees or production minimums.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
8 May 2026
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For years, Mira has been agitating for more independence.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailing. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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