to derail

Examples

• All

• For example, several well-known individuals have made statements that could derail some renewable energy plans.

  Academic text (2011)

• Hamas has stepped up its attacks recently in an effort to derail the Middle East peace process.

  Fiction book (2000)

• If we have every now and again a bad step, that can derail the whole process.

• School officials can learn about hot issues that might derail a large public meeting.

  Academic text (2004)

• At each stage, there may be obstacles that have the potential to derail implementation.

  Academic text (2015)

• If you let one failure derail you for days or weeks, you're going to fail.

  Dr. Josh Axe

• In a new development process, a six-month delay could derail an entire program.

  Academic text (2005)

• This is an obvious ploy to derail our proceedings.

  Courting Mom and Dad (2021)

• The reactionary elements have tried to derail both reconstruction and democracy by violence.

  Academic text (2007)

• Narcissistic leaders can derail and frankly destroy careers.

Synonyms

D

to disrupt

vsto derail

269 4.4

To interrupt normal activity and cause disorder

focuses more on causing failure or permanent deviation rather than temporary disorder

H

to halt

vsto derail

206 2.4

To stop moving or make something stop moving

often implies broader failure or deviation, not only a simple stop

D

to divert

vsto derail

94 4.2

To cause something like traffic or a river to go a different way

implies failure or stoppage rather than merely a change of direction

A

to abort

vsto derail

93 5.6

To stop a plan or activity before it finishes, often because of problems

can mean causing failure indirectly rather than intentionally aborting completion

C

to curtail

vsto derail

52 6.3

To make something shorter or less than planned

instead implies full failure or a major deviation from the intended course

T

to throw a wrench in

vsto derail

• US

2 8.0

Cause a problem that stops a plan or activity

is wider, meaning to cause failure or derailment beyond a single problem

D

to derail a plan

vsto derail

1 5.2

Cause a plan to fail or stop moving forward

is the broader verb causing failure or deviation across events and plans

T

to throw a monkey wrench into the works

vsto derail

• Informal

1 8.6

Cause problems on purpose that stop a plan or process from working smoothly

can be accidental or deliberate in making plans fail or go off course

D

to derange

vsto derail

1 7.5

Cause confusion or disorder in plans, work and schedules

is more specific about stopping or making plans go off course

O

to overset someone's plans

vsto derail

7.7

To ruin someone's plans by making them fail or change suddenly

is the general cause of failure or going off the intended course

D

to deray

vsto derail

• Archaic

9.9

To disturb a meeting or event and make it not work as planned

targets causing a process to fail or go off its intended course

Antonyms

C

to continue

∞ 1.0

To keep doing something without stopping

F

to facilitate

• Formal

187 4.9

To make a task or process easier and help it happen

Phrasal Verbs

D

to derail a plan

1 5.2

Cause a plan to fail or stop moving forward

How Disrupted

to sabotage

164 7.1

to derail

64 4.6

to disrupt

269 4.4

to interrupt

909 2.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology