derailed; derailing; derails
1
: to cause to run off the rails
2
a
: to obstruct the progress of : frustrate
Security problems derailed the tour.
b
: to upset the stability or composure of
… divorce … can seriously derail an employee.—
Joanne Gordon
Joanne Gordon
: to leave the rails
Synonyms of derail
Examples of derail in a Sentence
The train derailed in heavy snow.
The train was derailed by heavy snow.
Recent Examples on the Web
The train did not derail as a result of the incident, Partida confirmed, but a fuel spill occurred.
—Joe Kottke, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026
But Lowe never got on the field last year, as his freshman year was derailed by injury.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
Earlier this season, SMU was projected to be as high as a six or seven seed before an injury to starting guard BJ Edwards derailed the Mustangs’ last three weeks of the season.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 2026
After the brief interruption, Green shook off the incident and finished the set, unwilling to let one audience member derail the night.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derail
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Joe Kottke, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026
But Lowe never got on the field last year, as his freshman year was derailed by injury.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
Earlier this season, SMU was projected to be as high as a six or seven seed before an injury to starting guard BJ Edwards derailed the Mustangs’ last three weeks of the season.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 15 Mar. 2026
After the brief interruption, Green shook off the incident and finished the set, unwilling to let one audience member derail the night.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for derail
Cite this Entry
“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derail. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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