derail

verb

di-ˈrāl How to pronounce derail (audio)
Definition of derailnext
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

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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 But Bridgewater’s career was derailed, as a starter at least, when a horrific knee injury led to a left knee dislocation and a torn ACL during a practice just before the start of the 2016 season. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Not having the investment strategies, solutions, technologies and resources clients expect can be a disservice to clients and derail a relationship. — Shehab Mohammad, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Entertainment Weekly has learned new incident details after the Texas Tornado roller coaster appeared to derail mid-ride at Wonderland Amusement Park. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026 Ed Burke played a key role in derailing her 2019 campaign for mayor. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for derail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail
  1. distract
  2. disturb
  3. bother
  4. worry
  5. alarm
  6. concern
  7. unsettle
  8. agitate
Verb
  • The running text would distract from interviews of newsmakers, for example, but executives do see more chances to use it.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Environmental groups, including the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, argue that bioplastics maintain the single-use paradigm and distract from real solutions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of distract
Verb
  • Sulfur-rich gases reaching the upper atmosphere could reflect sunlight and temporarily cool the climate, disturbing rainfall and reducing harvests worldwide.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Some people think putting more and more effects is the best way to express ourselves for the audience, and some filmmakers just want to keep the balance without disturbing the original movie.
    — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturb
Verb
  • The one issue that is bothering me at or just before launch is the CPU's Wear and Tear management.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • As if the constant barrage of political ads wasn't enough, some WCCO viewers are particularly bothered by the language candidates are using.
    — Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of bother
Verb
  • Hospices, good and bad, worry about their bottom lines and Medicare's fraud audits.
    — Kim Clark, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But that’s left some observers worried Disney wasn’t bringing in enough summertime visitors.
    — Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of worry
Verb
  • Found in many foods For consumers, of course, the latest food safety concerns can be alarming given that lettuce and jalapeño peppers are used in many of the roughly 1 billion meals Americans consume daily.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Murphy is alarmed by what Iran stands to benefit from an end to the war.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of alarm
Verb
  • By identifying exactly what the frustration concerns before reacting, leaders are more likely to channel emotion toward fixing broken systems instead of attacking individuals.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • At least as far as productivity is concerned, there is some merit to this thinking.
    — Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of concern
Verb
  • The barrage has caused fuel shortages in Russia, eaten into Russian refining capacity, and unsettled the Russian public.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • That reshuffle opened the door for Amad, who shone on the right with a bustling performance, unsettling PSG with his sharp dribbling and laying on an assist for Mbeumo.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsettle
Verb
  • Instead of budgeting for $1,800 in tissues, the school insists on agitating parents all summer over crap like this.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • He was agitated by failures to land first-choice replacements for the second summer running.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of agitate

Browse Nearby Words

deputy
derail
derailed
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Cite this Entry

“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of derail for Spanish Speakers

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