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
Yet, injuries have derailed his success as of late, limiting his time on Tour.
—
Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 23 Feb. 2025
The lengths to which either sister will go to derail the other’s career testifies to the desperation of artists hemmed in by a repressive government.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2025
The Rookie of the Year race was further derailed when Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain — who quickly became the unexpected front-runner while averaging 15.3 points and 2.6 assists in his first 23 games — suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in December.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025
Her impactful career in the aftermath of that strike, however, was further derailed in the U.S. when she was blacklisted during the ‘50s Red Scare by the House Un-American Committee.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derail
Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 23 Feb. 2025
The lengths to which either sister will go to derail the other’s career testifies to the desperation of artists hemmed in by a repressive government.
—Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2025
The Rookie of the Year race was further derailed when Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain — who quickly became the unexpected front-runner while averaging 15.3 points and 2.6 assists in his first 23 games — suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in December.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025
Her impactful career in the aftermath of that strike, however, was further derailed in the U.S. when she was blacklisted during the ‘50s Red Scare by the House Un-American Committee.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail
Verb
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Have we been distracted too much by all the verbal fireworks this season from CK, Phillip, and Seychelle to notice that Lete is an absolute assassin out there?—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
5 Mar. 2025
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Grave screamed for help, but security personnel were distracted by the game and not paying attention, the lawsuit said.—
Louis Casiano,
Fox News,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Stay on marked trails, pack all your trash, and respect wildlife (do not feed or disturb them).—
Emese Maczko,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
-
In his State of the State speech Wednesday, Pritzker argued the current moment has disturbing parallels to the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany.—
Alex Thompson,
Axios,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Gathering at Scripps Research’s third annual Pandemic Preparedness Symposium last week, researchers working in virology and chemistry did not bother to debate whether or not H5N1 avian influenza will clear this rapidly shrinking hurdle.—
Paul Sisson,
The Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2025
-
As Caro settled into life in a new country, one thing often bothered him.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Book was worried when her sister first told her of her relationship with Holder, explaining that Pike had allegedly been verbally and physically abused in some of her past relationships.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Some worry the ongoing turbulence could distract from some of the most pressing public health threats on our doorstep, including bird flu and measles.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Reports that Paramount Global is considering a financial settlement on the Trump federal lawsuit have alarmed journalists within CBS News and beyond.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2025
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But his approach to doing so has alarmed many U.S. allies, as his administration recently opened up talks with Russia and signalled openness to peace talks that could potentially embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and sideline Ukraine.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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These developments sent the stock market on a roller-coaster ride Tuesday while sparking Wall Street concerns about a potential global trade war.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
4 Mar. 2025
-
The warning was released on Tuesday at 5:14 a.m., and the last update concerning this incident was provided on Tuesday at 7:21 a.m. Crash report: I-35 A traffic warning has been issued after a crash on northbound I-35 between I-635/Exit 231 and 24th Street/Exit 232.—
Kansas City Star Bot,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The sense of uncertainty is particularly strong in places where political instability can suddenly unsettle one’s sense of home, values and economic security.—
Gregor Nassief,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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Trump's rapprochement with Russia has nonetheless unsettled America's historic allies in Europe.—
JILL LAWLESS AND AAMER MADHANI THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
arkansasonline.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Astronauts will initiate the fermentation in space by adding water to the device, which will monitor the level of alcohol and mechanically agitate the mash to achieve successful fermentation.—
Akiko Katayama,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
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Neither country wants the burden of millions of desperate Gazans who will agitate to return home to Palestine.—
Trudy Rubin,
Twin Cities,
9 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
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