derailed; derailing; derails
1
: to cause to run off the rails
2
a
: to obstruct the progress of : frustrate
security problems derailed the tour
b
: to upset the stability or composure of
divorce … can seriously derail an employee—
Joanne Gordon
Joanne Gordon
: to leave the rails
Synonyms
Examples of derail in a Sentence
The train derailed in heavy snow.
The train was derailed by heavy snow.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Zuckerberg and Meta's bid to power artificial intelligence systems with nuclear energy has apparently been derailed by a species of rare bees.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Trump has promised to enact sweeping tariffs on imports that would ignite trade wars, which could raise costs and derail overseas sales for Boeing, while the defense budget and arms exports could be threatened.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
In Pittsburgh, Trump delivered what his campaign aides described as his closing argument after his previous attempt — a mass rally at Madison Square Garden in New York — was derailed by crude and racist jokes.
—Darlene Superville, Twin Cities, 4 Nov. 2024
That herculean effort injured his right foot and derailed the team's season.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for derail 
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Trump has promised to enact sweeping tariffs on imports that would ignite trade wars, which could raise costs and derail overseas sales for Boeing, while the defense budget and arms exports could be threatened.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
In Pittsburgh, Trump delivered what his campaign aides described as his closing argument after his previous attempt — a mass rally at Madison Square Garden in New York — was derailed by crude and racist jokes.
—Darlene Superville, Twin Cities, 4 Nov. 2024
That herculean effort injured his right foot and derailed the team's season.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for derail
Dictionary Entries Near derail
Cite this Entry
“Derail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derail. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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