as in bothering
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 derailing The team took hit after hit, injuries derailing their roster regularly with almost no reprieve across the six-month schedule. —
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026 This season didn't go nearly as well, with injuries to key veterans like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and DeAndre Hunter derailing the campaign almost from the start. —CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026 This season didn't go nearly as well, with injuries to key veterans like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and DeAndre Hunter derailing the campaign almost from the start. —ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026 Emergency managers from several states say the funding backlog is having a ripple effect in communities, straining local budgets and delaying or potentially derailing disaster projects that have taken years to plan. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026 Candidates who lost have pointed their fingers at special interests, blaming them for derailing their campaigns. —Leah Askarinam, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026 This one, coming off the back of two hugely disappointing, trophy-ending, and potentially derailing defeats, was one of their best of the season. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026 Officiating became an incendiary subplot; controversial calls and no-calls stirred the pot in the first half without ever completely derailing the game once Denver and San Antonio got down to business later. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026 The packing mistakes range from a minor inconvenience to derailing the first day or two of a trip. —Jamie Davis Smith, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026 This season didn't go nearly as well, with injuries to key veterans like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and DeAndre Hunter derailing the campaign almost from the start. —CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026 This season didn't go nearly as well, with injuries to key veterans like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and DeAndre Hunter derailing the campaign almost from the start. —ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026 Emergency managers from several states say the funding backlog is having a ripple effect in communities, straining local budgets and delaying or potentially derailing disaster projects that have taken years to plan. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026 Candidates who lost have pointed their fingers at special interests, blaming them for derailing their campaigns. —Leah Askarinam, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026 This one, coming off the back of two hugely disappointing, trophy-ending, and potentially derailing defeats, was one of their best of the season. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026 Officiating became an incendiary subplot; controversial calls and no-calls stirred the pot in the first half without ever completely derailing the game once Denver and San Antonio got down to business later. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026 The packing mistakes range from a minor inconvenience to derailing the first day or two of a trip. —Jamie Davis Smith, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for derailing
Verb
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Sit there like nothing is bothering you.— Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
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But that doesn’t excuse failing to execute on the ABCs of lobbying — such as not bothering even to show up at a hearing on a policy the mayor considers an urgent priority.— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps his most notable friendship is with loyal longtime bodyguard Bill Bray (Keilyn Durrel Jones) and, to a lesser extent, his savvy manager John Branca (Miles Teller in a distracting wig).— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
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Punk was taking off the tape from his hands and threw it onto the ring, distracting the referee enough to hit Reigns with a low blow.— Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Then jurors heard disturbing sounds of banging — and choking, according to the Star-Telegram.— KC Baker, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
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And inside the actual pillow, there are only those air sacs, which inflate and deflate to slightly change pressure points throughout the night – silently and without disturbing your slumber, or anyone else's.— New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That is why the recent decision to advance legislation (House Bill 1360, the Affordable Housing Financing Fund) to divert approximately $130 million from Proposition 123 funds is so concerning.— Heidi Williams, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
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Palencia’s oblique strain was the latest in a series of pitching injuries the Cubs have had to deal with, and was especially concerning considering the shaky state of the bullpen with the losses of high-leverage options Hunter Harvey and Phil Maton.— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The alerts were triggered by the severe thunderstorm moving through the area, alarming some residents who were unaware the city’s siren system now also goes off when a severe weather warning is issued by the National Weather Service.— Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
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Midway through my massage, the boat unmoored itself and set sail—setting off an initially alarming vibrating bed and whirring engine noise.— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Medieval schoolmen worrying over Aristotle could be pedants; so could cultivated female salonnières in seventeenth-century Paris.— Clare Bucknell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
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The technology intentionally comes lacking a human face, and its evangelists have both over-promised regarding what the tools can do in the short term while worrying people about the long-term societal impacts.— Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mamdani’s also done an about-face on the city’s rental assistance program, CityFHEPs, angering progressive allies.— Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
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This causes a rift within the family, particularly angering the eldest son, Erik, who feels deeply betrayed.— John Hopewell, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And Anderson is said to be behaving impeccably in not agitating for a move.— David Ornstein, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2026
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Pour in egg mixture and immediately stir with a heatproof rubber spatula, incorporating ham and gently agitating eggs, and running it along edges until sides begin to bubble, about 30 seconds.— Inés Anguiano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Derailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/derailing. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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