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
The event was derailed by a series of setbacks — including heavy rains that made a mess of the campground area where revelers complained of intolerable conditions and barely edible meals like cheese sandwiches.
—
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025
The United States has a strong interest in derailing that country’s ambitions while limiting the need for future American military interventions in the region.
—A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
What’s discussed less often is how these medical challenges intertwine with financial ones, often draining savings, derailing careers, and reshaping futures.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 21 Apr. 2025
The diminished interest in the UFL coincides with a labor dispute that threatened to derail the start of the season.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derail
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025
The United States has a strong interest in derailing that country’s ambitions while limiting the need for future American military interventions in the region.
—A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
What’s discussed less often is how these medical challenges intertwine with financial ones, often draining savings, derailing careers, and reshaping futures.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 21 Apr. 2025
The diminished interest in the UFL coincides with a labor dispute that threatened to derail the start of the season.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail
Verb
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Too often, however, the temptation to blame individuals or groups for housing ills distracts from the actual debate and prevents all stakeholders from discovering their mutual interests.—
Matt Frazier,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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The scientists now plan on developing the technology further, which will include boosting its ability to filter out distracting background noises such as those produced by body movements.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This involved manually disturbing the leg and then releasing it, capturing the resulting oscillations on high-speed video.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2025
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What Is No-Till Gardening? Simply put, no-till is an approach to gardening that avoids disturbing soil in order to preserve its structure.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow was popular enough that fans wanted a solo story, but the studio didn't bother to make it until her character was already dead in the major timeline, then skipped the theatrical release, which Johansson sued them about.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
19 Apr. 2025
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So much so that Gillaspie didn’t bother to even grab a towel last summer when a pitching coach yelled into the visiting showers to alert him that Triple-A El Paso manager Pete Zamora needed to see him.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Moran worries that Alvarado, a diabetic breast cancer survivor who suffers from high blood pressure and needs to eat and drink frequently, will have poor access to her medication in detention — or after deportation.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2025
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According to Breen’s brother-in-law, Corey Feist, many people worried that any move to take care of their mental health could affect their jobs.—
Christina Ray Stanton,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Still, researchers are clear to reassure people there is no need to be alarmed about the continent hollowing out or there being any sudden landscape changes anytime soon.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Apr. 2025
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Trump's attack on our courts threatens every American Our country faces a constitutional crisis that should alarm every American.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The incident report was issued Monday at 3:57 p.m., and the last update concerning this incident was provided on Monday at 4:01 p.m.—
Kansas City Star Bot,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2025
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The season went from concerning to disastrous under Van Nistelrooy.—
Rob Tanner,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Jalen Brunson endured physical play in the Knicks’ 100-94 Game 2 loss to the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden on Monday, alarming fans with another brief but unsettling late-game exit.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2025
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And while terrifying movies are typically critic-proof at the box office, audiences tend to leave the theater feeling unsettled, which translates to poor exit polls.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Place lasagna noodles in a 9- x 13- inch baking dish; cover with hot or boiling water to submerge and set aside to soak until noodles are pliable, about 30 minutes, agitating noodles occasionally to prevent them from sticking together.—
Nicole Hopper,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2025
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For instance, trust will be eroded when a person demonstrates a lack of temperance, which manifests as being agitated, impatient, inattentive, rash, and anxious instead of being composed, patient, prudent, self-controlled, and calm.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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