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
Yes, but: They were derailed early and often with injuries to star running back Christian McCaffrey, who has yet to play in a game this season, and receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is out for the year after tearing his ACL and MCL.
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Ross Terrell, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
Hammer’s A-list Hollywood career was derailed back in 2021 when multiple women came forward with claims of abuse against him.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
His parents worry his improvements might be derailed.
—Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2024
There ultimately was not sufficient evidence for a case and he was never charged, but the allegations derailed Hammer’s burgeoning Hollywood career.
—Jack Smart, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for derail 
Ross Terrell, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
Hammer’s A-list Hollywood career was derailed back in 2021 when multiple women came forward with claims of abuse against him.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
His parents worry his improvements might be derailed.
—Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2024
There ultimately was not sufficient evidence for a case and he was never charged, but the allegations derailed Hammer’s burgeoning Hollywood career.
—Jack Smart, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for derail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derail
Verb
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Brace for Impact Schmitt’s getting caught in a storm might have been a red herring to distract us from a bigger tragedy ahead. endings Yesterday at 3:37 p.m.Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
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The result is a work environment where people are distracted, stressed or even fearful of speaking their minds.Stephen Nalley, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The photos, not graphic but disturbing all the same, were allegedly taken at the scene of the Delphi murders — the double homicide of two best friends, Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, in rural Delphi, Indiana, in 2017.Aja Romano, Vox, 11 Nov. 2024
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The skit started with the actors seeming disturbed.Dennis Romero, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Does Miss Manners have a suggestion for a polite way of indicating that, since they couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge the first gift, subsequent gifts should not be solicited?Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
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Advertisement Martha Stewart is an ‘unreliable narrator’ but also ‘a visionary,’ documentary director says: R.J. Cutler, the director of Netflix’s ‘Martha,’ discussed his film about the lifestyle guru and businesswoman and how he isn’t bothered by her criticism of it.Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Travelers who are used to sailing the warm Caribbean waters might feel hesitant to sail in the region’s colder aid, worried about seasickness or simply unsure about the destinations themselves.Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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Many also worry that U.S. disengagement could lead other countries to backpedal on existing climate pledges or scale back future ambitions.Reuters, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Verb
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That’s alarmed some industries over others—such as Germany’s carmakers, who stand to pay steep tariffs.BYPrarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 30 Oct. 2024
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Eventually, Rabie managed to accelerate slightly, distancing the vehicle from the lioness without alarming her.Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
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This is especially concerning for the x86 crowd because both systems aren’t far off in price from the MacBook Pro tested here, especially the HP ZBook workstation.PCMAG, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
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Two potential constitutional amendments are also on the ballot, concerning noncitizen voting and public and private school funding.Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
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There’s a creepy hitchhiker, a girl who becomes impaled by a meat hook, and graveyard vandalism, all told in a grainy, documentary style (including a series of unsettling radio reports and opening narration).Sydney Bishop, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
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That’s one of the questions that animates this off-kilter, unsettling series executive-produced by M. Night Shyamalan, who directs several episodes, as does his daughter, filmmaker Ishana Night Shyamalan.Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The man was agitated and confused for the first 10 days of his hospital stay, but symptoms started to improve as his calcium levels dropped.Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2024
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As women began to agitate more for equal rights, however, Single Blessedness fell out of favor.Natalie Kinkade, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near derail
Cite this Entry
“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/derail. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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