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
At a Homeland Security hearing last week, Kansas City police officials and a Miami World Cup host committee executive claimed the funding gap risked derailing the tournament’s planning and security.
—
Adam Crafton, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
With energy prices climbing at a blistering pace, the prospect of an expanding Middle East conflict risks derailing the European economy’s recovery, which was enjoying low inflation and better-than-expected growth.
—Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026
But Beijing has claimed a partial victory, by derailing Washington’s initial plans to acquire CK Hutchison’s global port holdings outright, Goujon said.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
As a practical matter, the owner being targeted to pay higher monthly assessments will likely oppose paying more, thus derailing the initiative to revise its unit percentage.
—Howard Dakoff, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Nearly 60% of workers in Kickresume’s survey said difficult coworkers significantly undermine their productivity, whether that’s by derailing their focus, wasting time, or forcing them to overthink every interaction.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
That means what seems like a harmless purchase today could be viewed as a fraudulent transaction tomorrow, and could even end up derailing your filing or landing you in legal trouble.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Cal Coast then filed a lawsuit accusing SDCCU of intentionally derailing the merger without a valid cause.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Putin told Trump of his decision in a call Monday, according to the Kremlin, even as Kyiv cast the Russian allegations as a fabrication aimed at derailing the peace process.
—Kate Sullivan, Bloomberg, 29 Dec. 2025
Adam Crafton, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
With energy prices climbing at a blistering pace, the prospect of an expanding Middle East conflict risks derailing the European economy’s recovery, which was enjoying low inflation and better-than-expected growth.
—Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026
But Beijing has claimed a partial victory, by derailing Washington’s initial plans to acquire CK Hutchison’s global port holdings outright, Goujon said.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
As a practical matter, the owner being targeted to pay higher monthly assessments will likely oppose paying more, thus derailing the initiative to revise its unit percentage.
—Howard Dakoff, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Nearly 60% of workers in Kickresume’s survey said difficult coworkers significantly undermine their productivity, whether that’s by derailing their focus, wasting time, or forcing them to overthink every interaction.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
That means what seems like a harmless purchase today could be viewed as a fraudulent transaction tomorrow, and could even end up derailing your filing or landing you in legal trouble.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Cal Coast then filed a lawsuit accusing SDCCU of intentionally derailing the merger without a valid cause.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Putin told Trump of his decision in a call Monday, according to the Kremlin, even as Kyiv cast the Russian allegations as a fabrication aimed at derailing the peace process.
—Kate Sullivan, Bloomberg, 29 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailing
Verb
-
Mass incarceration has led to a fast-growing bloc of citizens who either are legally barred from voting or have just stopped bothering.—
Kevin B. Smith,
The Conversation,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Stop bothering me with things that don’t make sense.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Also, higher oil prices mean more income for Russia, and the war in Iran is distracting the world from Putin’s war in Ukraine.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Additional creature comforts also can be nice but distracting.—
Metro Creative Services,
Boston Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Shuttle buses often pause to allow passengers to observe animals without disturbing them.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2026
-
According to investigators, multiple officers were called to the gas station after reports of an intoxicated man who was disturbing customers.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Detainees struggle to obtain medication and healthcare, lose concerning amounts of weight because of a lack of food, and live in fear of private security guards known to use force to put down disturbances.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
By contrast, University goalie Lucca Clouthier had six saves, but only one that was concerning.—
Martin Henderson,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Recently, something new appeared on the landscape, alarming wildlife advocates like Christina Aiello.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Nothing’s worse than worrying about an overly revealing neckline or an itchy zipper midway through dinner.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The Spurs are worrying about problems like this in the immediate, while the Bulls are far off from worrying about game-plan intricacies determining their success.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The two sat up front and refused to move, angering the driver, who stormed off at every stop, all through the night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The policy coincided with hurricane season, and relief efforts in states such as Missouri, North Carolina, and California were delayed, angering the public and, in many cases, their Republican representatives.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Waddell wanted Marchment for his energetic, agitating style of play.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The agitating action of a washer can cause the foam to break into pieces.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailing. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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