as in distracts
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 derails
Having antiseptics, bandages, and pain relief on hand means a small mishap never derails a beach day or a hike.
—
Robin Raven,
Travel + Leisure,
22 June 2026
The set dressing on the balloon task temporarily derails the episode.
—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
To be sure, Amazon's use of multiple launch providers reduces the risk that any single launch failure derails its plans.
—
Paulina Likos,kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
But after a cyclone derails a sailing trip, Callista becomes stranded on an island for over a year — alongside Darren's ex-army medic cousin, Dominic.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
The Iran war is fundamentally reshaping the oil industry, as geopolitical volatility rattles traders and derails expectations of a Middle East drilling boom.
—
J.d. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Fifth derails Burrows For four innings, Burrows resembled the pitcher the Astros saw all spring.
—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
19 Apr. 2026
Since tomorrow is never promised, many Americans who put off planning could face a health care emergency that derails their travel, leisure and other retirement plans, advisers said.
—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
Hormonal fluctuations trigger cortisol release that derails the normal circadian sleep cycle, and women in this transition are more vulnerable to adrenal stress responses.
—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Robin Raven,
Travel + Leisure,
22 June 2026
The set dressing on the balloon task temporarily derails the episode.
—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
To be sure, Amazon's use of multiple launch providers reduces the risk that any single launch failure derails its plans.
—
Paulina Likos,kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
But after a cyclone derails a sailing trip, Callista becomes stranded on an island for over a year — alongside Darren's ex-army medic cousin, Dominic.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
The Iran war is fundamentally reshaping the oil industry, as geopolitical volatility rattles traders and derails expectations of a Middle East drilling boom.
—
J.d. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Fifth derails Burrows For four innings, Burrows resembled the pitcher the Astros saw all spring.
—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
19 Apr. 2026
Since tomorrow is never promised, many Americans who put off planning could face a health care emergency that derails their travel, leisure and other retirement plans, advisers said.
—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
Hormonal fluctuations trigger cortisol release that derails the normal circadian sleep cycle, and women in this transition are more vulnerable to adrenal stress responses.
—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derails
Verb
-
Mother’s explosion distracts Blaine and frees Sam.
-
In my view, platforming these young men and sensationalizing their behaviors, rather than recognizing those behaviors as signs of psychological distress, distracts from the urgent need to address these serious mental health concerns.
Verb
-
Tilling or plowing in the summer disturbs the soil's delicate ecosystem and exposes moist soil to rapid water loss.
-
The pier in Michigan City’s Washington Park disturbs the natural flow of sand along the lakeshore, creating new land east of the pier but starving beaches to the west, an erosion problem repeated by other manmade structures that jut out into Lake Michigan.
Verb
-
What bothers me is the foot-dragging, the spinning in circles, the slow degradation of these characters into annoying stereotypes.
-
What bothers me is the implication of a Labubu National Team full of these things.
Verb
-
That question is exactly what worries the people who keep it alive.
-
What worries me most isn’t that AI will become smarter than humans.
Verb
-
That angers Oswadeliz Nuñez, whose son Daniel Núñez remains missing after being deported.
-
In all, PayPal Park is allowed to host as many as 15 concerts a year, a number that delights some live music fans and angers those in the neighborhood who are concerned about the noise that these shows will generate.
Verb
-
He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).
-
The focal point of escalating concern is oldest son Jeremy (Edik Beddoes) whose increasingly erratic behavior alarms those around him, not only for his safety but others as well.
Verb
-
That case concerns a longstanding Supreme Court precedent that broadly shields members of such boards from being fired at will, in order to protect them from partisan interference.
-
What concerns me is that many yung people are not indoctrinated about what the flag means.
Verb
-
That is precisely the capability that unsettles underwriters, because an agent that can decide is an agent that can decide wrongly, and fast.
-
But Hyd unsettles this arrangement with their deadpan affect, playing the part of a mourning truth-seeker trying to live in the moment.
Cite this Entry
“Derails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derails. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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