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
In 2018, one of their trains derailed while travelling to Fort Worth.
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Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
The collision caused the train to derail, ultimately hitting the Chamber of Commerce building.
—Christina Shaw, Fox News, 19 Dec. 2024
Negotiations between legislators and the Sixers were nearly derailed last week before the team ponied up $10 million more for the CBA.
—Mike D'onofrio, Axios, 19 Dec. 2024
Doing this exercise in advance will help prevent surprises at the table that could derail you.
—Michelle Greenberg-Kobrin, Contributor, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for derail 
Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
The collision caused the train to derail, ultimately hitting the Chamber of Commerce building.
—Christina Shaw, Fox News, 19 Dec. 2024
Negotiations between legislators and the Sixers were nearly derailed last week before the team ponied up $10 million more for the CBA.
—Mike D'onofrio, Axios, 19 Dec. 2024
Doing this exercise in advance will help prevent surprises at the table that could derail you.
—Michelle Greenberg-Kobrin, Contributor, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for derail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail
Verb
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Haynes relies on photographs, clips from tangentially relevant ephemeral films and soundless remnants shot by mentor/facilitator Andy Warhol, a strategy that can be distracting and rewarding in turns.Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
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Baseball is desperately trying to appeal to younger demographics comprised of people who are easily distracted and who prefer immediacy in life.Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The outpour of support for Mangione, including the online thirst traps of the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, has disturbed most people.David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
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Every night the lamb would cry, and be told to hush, for its bleats disturbed their sleep.Karen Zautyk, New York Daily News, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 Dec. 2024
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Kansas City Chiefs 27, Houston Texans 19 (Saturday): Patrick Mahomes didn't look bothered by his high ankle sprain, keeping the Chiefs in line for the AFC's top playoff seed.Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Alito has been highly vocal that Congress cannot enact this type of oversight on the courts, and some Republicans who have sided with his viewpoint also worry about the separation of powers.Gabrielle M. Etzel, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Dec. 2024
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The revival, certainly the most original of the five that have made it to Broadway, offers traditionalists much to worry on.Jesse Green, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Trends have alarmed experts who worry that personal agendas, beliefs, and ideologies are shaping curriculum development.Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
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While the state’s governor says there’s no threat to public safety, other state officials and local mayors are alarmed.Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Evidently, the Diamondbacks aren’t concerned by his rapidly dropping strikeout rate or that his main weapon is now more of a pitch-to-contact offering.Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
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Light spotting during early pregnancy is common and is usually nothing to be concerned about.Wendy Wisner, Health, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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As months pass, Sara becomes more and more desperate for freedom in this luminous, unsettling look at technology and surveillance.Lizz Schumer, People.com, 27 Dec. 2024
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These partisan swings undermine the country’s capacity for global leadership, unsettling allies and emboldening adversaries.Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Additionally, with Uranus in Taurus getting ready to station direct at the end of January, your ongoing personal liberation saga is agitating for change again.Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Dec. 2024
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Grab a fork, chopstick, or skewer, wrap it in a microfiber cloth, and use it to agitate any buildup clinging to the bottom of the glass.Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near derail
Cite this Entry
“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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