DERAILS Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

derails

verb

present tense third-person singular of derail

as in distracts

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 derails This is obviously terrible for the Giants and seemingly derails their season, even after only two games. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026 Check local donation guidelines before loading the truck Nothing derails a donation day faster than showing up with a truckload of furniture only to be turned away. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 July 2026 That leaves limited instruments for managing the risk that one missing link derails an entire corridor. — Bright Simons, semafor.com, 13 July 2026 Having antiseptics, bandages, and pain relief on hand means a small mishap never derails a beach day or a hike. — Robin Raven, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2026 The set dressing on the balloon task temporarily derails the episode. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 16 June 2026 To be sure, Amazon's use of multiple launch providers reduces the risk that any single launch failure derails its plans. — Paulina Likos,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 29 May 2026 But after a cyclone derails a sailing trip, Callista becomes stranded on an island for over a year — alongside Darren's ex-army medic cousin, Dominic. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026 Fifth derails Burrows For four innings, Burrows resembled the pitcher the Astros saw all spring. — Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for derails

Verb

Often, undercapitalization is a major challenge for new franchisees and distracts from operations.

— Angelo Chavez, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Scientists now are spending an increasing amount of time worrying about keeping the lights on and people employed, which ultimately distracts from time spent doing research.

— Abdullah Shihipar, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of distracts

Verb

Some of the sightings claim a man wearing clothing typical of the 17th or 18th centuries, a man dressed in Confederate attire in the liquor room, a ghost of a former worker Joseph Hardesty and a female who actively disturbs visitors to her home.

— Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
That disturbs Masters, an auto mechanic who moved out of the mobile home park before the 2021 floods.

— Ren Larson, ProPublica, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of disturbs

Verb

This is why the sameness creeping into corporate communications right now bothers me more than the question of whether AI can write a good press release.

— Amanda Simonian, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Kurt's key takeaways What bothers me most about DoppelCart is how convincing these fake stores can look.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of bothers

Verb

What worries her is that such existential fears could distract from present harms the technology is already causing, such as AI deepfakes, mental health challenges and the potential for job loss.

— Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Eviction laws vary by state, but Batko worries that defaulting on even a single rent payment in some states can mean losing one's housing.

— Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of worries

Verb

The receptionist angers Kripke and Bert so much that they are picked up by the police — along with Stuart, who had also been arrested.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 31 July 2026
According to the myth, Agamemnon angers the goddess Artemis by killing one of her sacred deer.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026

Definition of angers

Verb

That prospect alarms those in Europe, who fear FIFA could increasingly challenge their competitions for space on an already overcrowded calendar.

— Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).

— Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026

Definition of alarms

Verb

Spry said the attacker could have targeted any neighborhood residents — a thought that still unsettles her, given how easily the situation could have escalated.

— Doha Madani, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026
That is precisely the capability that unsettles underwriters, because an agent that can decide is an agent that can decide wrongly, and fast.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Definition of unsettles

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derailing

derails

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“Derails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derails. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of derails

verb

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