as in to distract
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 derail
What could be the subject of a book itself ended up as a side-plot in my novel, set in San Luis Obispo (downwind of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant), and ready to derail Josie’s ant dissertation and academic career.
—
Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
However, Krein’s plans were almost derailed when his Amtrak train from Philadelphia to Washington D.C., was delayed for hours, as Jill revealed in an interview with Wilmington's News-Journal.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Earlier on Sunday, more than 51 Texas Democratic lawmakers flew to Chicago in order to break quorum, all but derailing a vote set for Monday on a new congressional map that includes five redrawn districts designed to favor Republicans.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 4 Aug. 2025
But a new court ruling blocking that effort marks a significant setback, potentially delaying or derailing parts of Trump's hardline immigration agenda.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derail
Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025
However, Krein’s plans were almost derailed when his Amtrak train from Philadelphia to Washington D.C., was delayed for hours, as Jill revealed in an interview with Wilmington's News-Journal.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Earlier on Sunday, more than 51 Texas Democratic lawmakers flew to Chicago in order to break quorum, all but derailing a vote set for Monday on a new congressional map that includes five redrawn districts designed to favor Republicans.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 4 Aug. 2025
But a new court ruling blocking that effort marks a significant setback, potentially delaying or derailing parts of Trump's hardline immigration agenda.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail
Verb
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Listen for the signs Notifications, newsfeeds and WhatsApp groups are distracting you from making a difference with your work.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Meanwhile, the Carter administration was distracted by other global events: the Panama Canal crisis, the SALT II negotiations with Moscow, the Israeli-Egyptian peace talks.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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He was recently disturbed by a Reddit thread in which a user posted jargon-heavy chatbot messages that seemed eerily familiar.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
10 Aug. 2025
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This experience left him disturbed by how his presence affected others.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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If a body is here, whoever buried it didn’t bother digging deep, because there’s no fear of getting caught.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
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The article includes a fancy-looking formula central to the algorithm, but the formula is nearly impossible to decipher since the authors didn’t bother to explain half the symbols in it.—
Noah Giansiracusa,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Now, conservation experts worry the road will propel more urbanization.—
Natalia Jaramillo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
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Altman’s statement leans into a growing competition over AI–one that developers in the U.S. are worried of losing.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Ford put on a blood pressure cuff and was alarmed at the results: 151 over 115, with a heartrate of 171.—
Jen Reeder,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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The decision has alarmed some of Trump's current and former allies in the GOP.—
Micah McCartney
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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On the back of that victory, players recently filed a class action lawsuit against FIFA concerning its rules on player movement.—
Chris Deubert,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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And with King Charles reportedly concerned about Trump due to his upcoming state visit to the UK, this doesn’t bode well for Andrew.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Markets are unsettled, geopolitics shows up inside product roadmaps, and investors ask for discipline and outsized growth at the same time.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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Revolutions are unsettling affairs, Kurzman, the sociologist, notes.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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There’s even a room equipped with soft surfaces for when clients inadvertently take a drug that agitates them.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
4 Aug. 2025
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When Hank gets agitated by all the change, he self-soothes by buying a spanner wrench.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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