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
California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter threatened to walk off an interview with a local TV reporter in 2025, derailing her campaign.
—
Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 9 June 2026
The dispute risks derailing the discussions on a truce extension, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and future talks over Iran’s nuclear program.
—Arsalan Shahla, Fortune, 7 June 2026
The toxic dating myth that's derailing our relationships Being unbothered and nonchalant has become a dating ideal, accelerated by a swiping culture that has eroded our ability to connect in person.
—Sabrina Romanoff, CNBC, 5 June 2026
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
Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 9 June 2026
The dispute risks derailing the discussions on a truce extension, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and future talks over Iran’s nuclear program.
—Arsalan Shahla, Fortune, 7 June 2026
The toxic dating myth that's derailing our relationships Being unbothered and nonchalant has become a dating ideal, accelerated by a swiping culture that has eroded our ability to connect in person.
—Sabrina Romanoff, CNBC, 5 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailing
Verb
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Instead, the reviews were largely muted, with analysts not bothering to adjust their revenue estimates for 2027 or 2028, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
-
That appears to be bothering people, as the broadcast noted some pointed conversations among the Spanish team during the hydration break.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
In addition, intense, exciting soccer matches can be distracting and lead to overlooking subtle signs of dehydration.—
Lisa Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Finally, toolbars are becoming more consistent, and the distracting icons in drop-down menus are quietly disappearing.—
Edward Mendelson,
PC Magazine,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Romantic from the first frame to the last, Park Chan-wook's 2022 masterpiece is a culmination of his steady and coherent approach to disturbing characters and his love for Hitchcock.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
-
In addition, Field appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, was yelling, acting belligerently and was disturbing residents, including a mother with young children.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
And some of the capabilities that these models have to access systems, not only federal government systems, but financial systems, is very concerning to us.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
-
With remote attacks, employees receive emails concerning invoices or data migrations.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
But the attack ads and political endorsements generally associated with running for other offices have started showing up in judicial races, alarming some judges and raising questions about whether candidates who engage in such activity have the right temperament for the job.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2026
-
The 2023 property tax valuation cycle — and to a lesser extent, the 2024 and 2025 cycles — have been the subject of widespread outrage in Jackson County, with skyrocketing property values alarming homeowners and business owners alike.—
Ilana Arougheti
June 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
In Disclosure Day, Jane’s worrying is curious, coming from someone who meant to become a nun.—
Luis Parrales,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
-
Looking to be quite aggressive in a football sense and always looking for the solution and what can happen instead of worrying about what the problem is.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The university, its athletic department and anyone associated with it haven't done the Red Raiders and their quarterback any favors, either, with people like head coach Joey Maguire and billionaire booster Cody Campbell sounding off on the issue and only angering fans further.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
-
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
Verb
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What Elliott did not know in 2024, Kapur says, is that his team had already begun working on the breakup the investor was agitating for.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
12 June 2026
-
That was usually Andy agitating.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derailing. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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