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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of derail
Also, a locomotive derailed early Friday in the Belgorod region after the track was blown up, said Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.
—
Arkansas Online, 7 June 2025
Also, a locomotive derailed early Friday in the Belgorod region after the track was blown up, Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
—Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025
Now that Musk owns Twitter—renamed X—the tables are turned, and Musk can use the same platform to derail Trump’s agenda from afar.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 5 June 2025
Could SpaceX derail a rival's next-generation satellite project because of paperwork issues?
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for derail
Arkansas Online, 7 June 2025
Also, a locomotive derailed early Friday in the Belgorod region after the track was blown up, Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
—Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025
Now that Musk owns Twitter—renamed X—the tables are turned, and Musk can use the same platform to derail Trump’s agenda from afar.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 5 June 2025
Could SpaceX derail a rival's next-generation satellite project because of paperwork issues?
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for derail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail
Verb
-
Sending in the National Guard was an obvious military flex, designed to to bait Angelenos while perhaps distracting Americans from Trump’s far greater troubles.—
Mary McNamara,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
-
The upshot is, an ADAS, such as Tesla FSD and robotaxi, does not get distracted and is laser-focused on the road.—
Brooke Crothers,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
Many more are disturbed by the politicization of churches and turned off by dogmas that promote hate and discord, finding religious teachings and traditions to be outdated and incompatible with their values.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
-
Later, her sister-in-law texts her, upset that her children were disturbed by her departure.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
11 June 2025
Verb
-
Understandably, the online narrative bothered the director as well.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2025
-
Whatever discomfort the 38-year-old was feeling didn’t appear to bother him thereafter.—
David Close,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
During his imprisonment, Corby worries about whether his beloved wife, Emily, and their daughter, Maisie, can ever forgive him.—
Anita Snow,
Boston Herald,
13 June 2025
-
Since the revolution, which transformed Iran into an Islamic Republic, Western nations have worried the country could use its nuclear program to produce atomic weapons using highly enriched uranium.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
Her red Chevy Avalanche was found abandoned with windows rolled down -- a detail that immediately alarmed her family.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
6 June 2025
-
Trump’s sudden rebuke has alarmed some conservative court-watchers, who warn the president’s new approach could fracture a judicial pipeline built over decades.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
The incident was reported Friday at 9:17 a.m., and the last update concerning this incident was provided on Friday at 9:20 a.m.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 June 2025
-
Reports of unrest outside the city, including in Paramount, are deeply concerning.—
Jack Moore,
ABC News,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
Trading at lofty valuations, even a slight miss on the revenue forecast was enough to unsettle investors.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
-
Today, movies and TV intended for the biggest audience possible often water down their storytelling and generalize in order to avoid anything that might challenge, frighten or unsettle the audience.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
The kid is flunking out of private school, has spearheaded a dozen or more extracurricular clubs, agitates to have Latin added to the curriculum, and directs a remarkably detailed stage production of Serpico.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
12 June 2025
-
Dragon boat racing was said to begin after villagers agitated the water and paddled to try to save him or prevent his body from being eaten by fish, according to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share