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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Recent Examples of derails
Looking ahead, Wewel sounded a note of caution on the current spike, suggesting that silver's risk/return balance could falter if the current momentum derails.
—
Hugh Leask, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
Just as Rome anchored a vast empire, character development anchors our understanding of why bright‑side leadership derails and why dark‑side leadership endures.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Per the logline, Geonhwa is an exceptionally adept and seasoned dealer who has lived a life far removed from the vices of the casino floor, who finds her life upended when a housing scam derails her newlywed plans.
—Peter White, Deadline, 13 Jan. 2026
Misinformation derails a solution for misinformation One example of false narratives having an impact was the fate of something called Senate Bill 549, says Julia Stein, deputy director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law.
—Julia Simon, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
But they can’t get caught up looking for a short-term solution that derails their long-term plan of development.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Charmast Portable Charger with Built-in Cables Travelers know that nothing derails a trip faster than a dead phone battery.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025
After the train derails in a tunnel, palace staff begin evacuating — but moments later, a horrifying explosion kills Camilla’s private secretary, Sir Peregrine Greaves.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
But the trailer also offers a glimpse a frightening car crash that derails their career and life plans.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Hugh Leask, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026
Just as Rome anchored a vast empire, character development anchors our understanding of why bright‑side leadership derails and why dark‑side leadership endures.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Per the logline, Geonhwa is an exceptionally adept and seasoned dealer who has lived a life far removed from the vices of the casino floor, who finds her life upended when a housing scam derails her newlywed plans.
—Peter White, Deadline, 13 Jan. 2026
Misinformation derails a solution for misinformation One example of false narratives having an impact was the fate of something called Senate Bill 549, says Julia Stein, deputy director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law.
—Julia Simon, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
But they can’t get caught up looking for a short-term solution that derails their long-term plan of development.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Charmast Portable Charger with Built-in Cables Travelers know that nothing derails a trip faster than a dead phone battery.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025
After the train derails in a tunnel, palace staff begin evacuating — but moments later, a horrifying explosion kills Camilla’s private secretary, Sir Peregrine Greaves.
—Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
But the trailer also offers a glimpse a frightening car crash that derails their career and life plans.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derails
Verb
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Border security is not the mission of the GLO, and using this office for that purpose distracts from its core responsibilities, managing public land, supporting public education, assisting veterans, and overseeing disaster recovery.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Suicide is tragic, and prevention is essential — but not through research that distracts from the real risks facing NFL players and young athletes.—
Eleanor M. Perfetto,
STAT,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What really disturbs professionals is the FDA’s injection of inconsistency into its reviews of drug applications.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
By cross-pollinating different groups of thinkers, Seth disturbs the pattern-completion machinery of each mind, clearing the ground for alternative insights to land.—
Rachel Barr,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Most people are able to put the splint away once their plantar fasciitis no longer bothers them.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
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That inward struggle made it to the surface because Glenn no longer bothers with charades.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wildfire worries As the warmth builds, dry, gusty winds will sweep across the High Plains this week, increasing the risk of wildfire ignition and rapid spread.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Even this newspaper story worries her.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What angers me is thinking about what could have been.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
-
And nothing angers the Survivor gods more than reality TV hubris.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But that's not really what alarms me, someone making money off of military advancements.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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But what alarms him most is the silence from the business community.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The most eye-catching revelation concerns the travel habits of CEO Alex Karp, whose executive aircraft expenses more than doubled over the previous year, suggesting the chief executive may have spent nearly one-third of his year in the sky.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 2026
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What concerns us most is how the campus has been responding.—
Tammi Marshall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What unsettles me just as deeply is the anti-immigrant mood on the ground.—
Valeng Cha,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
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Still, the advent of the star unsettles these familiar pathways.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derails. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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