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
Columnist Steve Lopez asks, why is the Trump administration derailing research?
—
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
Two years ago, Senate Republicans derailed the nomination of one of Hobbs’ previous picks to lead the health department.
—Mary Hudetz, ProPublica, 2 May 2025
The signing comes hours after a last-minute disagreement over which documents to sign Wednesday threatened to derail the deal.
—Victoria Butenko, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
Chloë Sevigny co-stars as Anne, a stylish figure from the past who arrives and promptly derails the trio’s French Riviera fever dream.
—Jessie Heyman, Vogue, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for derail
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
Two years ago, Senate Republicans derailed the nomination of one of Hobbs’ previous picks to lead the health department.
—Mary Hudetz, ProPublica, 2 May 2025
The signing comes hours after a last-minute disagreement over which documents to sign Wednesday threatened to derail the deal.
—Victoria Butenko, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
Chloë Sevigny co-stars as Anne, a stylish figure from the past who arrives and promptly derails the trio’s French Riviera fever dream.
—Jessie Heyman, Vogue, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for derail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail
Verb
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Critics suggested that Johnson timed the announcement to distract from the fact that he’d just been fined for attending a party in defiance of his own COVID restrictions, though the policy had been months in the making.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
16 May 2025
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Keep yourself occupied during the early days and weeks to distract your mind and heart.—
Anna Pulley,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2025
Verb
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These days, there’s no shortage of packable, lightweight sleeping pads to make sure no peas (or pebbles) ever disturb your slumber on your next backpacking trip.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
11 May 2025
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There’s been plenty of disturbing news lately about energy belligerence and blackouts, for instance.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Verb
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That doesn’t mean the implication doesn’t bother him.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
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Or Xander Schauffele, the defending PGA champion who is surely not bothered by the lack of attention on him early this week.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Long term, some economists worry the back-and-forth on tariffs could strain relationships between the U.S. and its trading partners.—
Bailey Schulz,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
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Patients worry about losing health care Summer Neal, 31, relies on a lot of medications to keep her healthy.—
Alexandra Olgin,
NPR,
8 May 2025
Verb
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Democrats and some Republicans are also alarmed over the ethics of accepting such an expensive gift from a foreign country.—
Jeremy Bogaisky,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
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The rapid expansion of the Camp House Fire, Jenkins Creek Fire and Munger Shaw Fire has alarmed officials.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Verb
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The information provided by Diversified, LLC should not be a substitute for consulting a qualified tax advisor, accountant, or other professional concerning the application of tax law or an individual tax situation.—
Andrew Rosen,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
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This was not the first time school officials had been concerned with the boy’s behavior.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
15 May 2025
Verb
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They, too, have been unsettled by Mr. Trump’s tariff offensive, his dismissal of allies as freeloaders, and his reluctance to support Ukraine.—
Ned Temko,
Christian Science Monitor,
15 May 2025
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His outlandish statements about Gaza have unsettled them.—
Marc Lynch,
Foreign Affairs,
12 May 2025
Verb
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Trump is also agitated by America's massive trade deficit with China, which came to $263 billion last year.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 May 2025
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Trump is also agitated by America’s massive trade deficit with China, which came to $263 billion last year.—
Paul Wiseman,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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