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
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
The Iran war is fundamentally reshaping the oil industry, as geopolitical volatility rattles traders and derails expectations of a Middle East drilling boom.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Fifth derails Burrows For four innings, Burrows resembled the pitcher the Astros saw all spring.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
Since tomorrow is never promised, many Americans who put off planning could face a health care emergency that derails their travel, leisure and other retirement plans, advisers said.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026
Women’s Health Network notes that hormonal fluctuations trigger cortisol release that actively derails the circadian sleep cycle, and women in this transition are more vulnerable to adrenal stress responses than at any other life stage.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Hormonal fluctuations trigger cortisol release that derails the normal circadian sleep cycle, and women in this transition are more vulnerable to adrenal stress responses.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
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
The Iran war is fundamentally reshaping the oil industry, as geopolitical volatility rattles traders and derails expectations of a Middle East drilling boom.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Fifth derails Burrows For four innings, Burrows resembled the pitcher the Astros saw all spring.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 19 Apr. 2026
Since tomorrow is never promised, many Americans who put off planning could face a health care emergency that derails their travel, leisure and other retirement plans, advisers said.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026
Women’s Health Network notes that hormonal fluctuations trigger cortisol release that actively derails the circadian sleep cycle, and women in this transition are more vulnerable to adrenal stress responses than at any other life stage.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Hormonal fluctuations trigger cortisol release that derails the normal circadian sleep cycle, and women in this transition are more vulnerable to adrenal stress responses.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derails
Verb
-
Mother’s explosion distracts Blaine and frees Sam.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
-
In my view, platforming these young men and sensationalizing their behaviors, rather than recognizing those behaviors as signs of psychological distress, distracts from the urgent need to address these serious mental health concerns.—
Jordyn Tovey,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The pier in Michigan City’s Washington Park disturbs the natural flow of sand along the lakeshore, creating new land east of the pier but starving beaches to the west, an erosion problem repeated by other manmade structures that jut out into Lake Michigan.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
-
Regardless, there’s a clear symbolism to Clark empathizing and embracing a bloated externalization of his own inchoate fury until someone with an outside perspective disturbs his peace, and that fury breaks loose and devours him.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Oh, and more often than not, nobody bothers to check whether the change intervention actually worked, or whether leaders improve their performance after all!—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
The government no longer even bothers to disguise itself as a democracy.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Rebecca worries about her husband, whose work as a mechanic can be dangerous.—
Andrew Jones,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Greene worries that rising prices and the disappearance of mass-market paperbacks could create a future where fewer readers take chances on unfamiliar authors.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
In all, PayPal Park is allowed to host as many as 15 concerts a year, a number that delights some live music fans and angers those in the neighborhood who are concerned about the noise that these shows will generate.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
-
Becerra has received a lot of support from Big Oil, which also angers progressives but is also probably a good thing since California still needs a lot of oil.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
-
The focal point of escalating concern is oldest son Jeremy (Edik Beddoes) whose increasingly erratic behavior alarms those around him, not only for his safety but others as well.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Heuermann has been a voracious reader in jail, but Toulon said the inmate’s preference for violent crime and mystery novels — some about serial killers — concerns him.—
Philip Marcelo,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
-
The alleged threat is portrayed as undermining First Amendment protections for freedom of association, which concerns the ability of groups to engage in expression and group activities without government interference.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
But Hyd unsettles this arrangement with their deadpan affect, playing the part of a mourning truth-seeker trying to live in the moment.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derails. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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