derail
to cause (a train, streetcar, etc.) to run off the rails of a track.
to cause to fail or become deflected from a purpose; reduce or delay the chances for success or development of: Being drafted into the army derailed his career for two years.
(of a train, streetcar, etc.) to run off the rails of a track.
to become derailed; go astray.
a track device for derailing rolling stock in an emergency.
Origin of derail
1Words Nearby derail
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use derail in a sentence
Even a delay in appointments can derail ongoing investigations and regulatory efforts.
Deregulators Lost at the Supreme Court When It Comes to Blocking Presidential Appointees | Aziz Haq | June 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut he cautioned that last-minute snags could still derail an agreement.
Is he rejecting her, or rejecting her cautionary tale—unable to derail his destiny?
All the Signs That Don Draper Will Die on ‘Mad Men’ | Kevin Fallon | April 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut let me be clear: if this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it.
Full Text of President Obama’s 2014 State of the Union Address | | January 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTUsed optimally, carbs can enhance your fitness regimen—not derail it!
He testified that he had kept the detective agencies informed as to the progress of the plot to derail the train.
Violence and the Labor Movement | Robert HunterTo derail a train is legitimate warfare, with many precedents to support it.
The War in South Africa | Arthur Conan DoyleAn engine, moreover, that had the power of leaving the metals to chase you should you not derail it.
The Pools of Silence | H. de Vere StacpooleSomething told Gladys that the men had had no business at the switch; that they meant to derail and wreck the Limited.
The Camp Fire Girls at Onoway House | Hildegard G. FreyBut, for that matter, he would derail what he liked, and cross where he pleased.
Bayou Folk | Kate Chopin
British Dictionary definitions for derail
/ (dɪˈreɪl) /
to go or cause to go off the rails, as a train, tram, etc
Also called: derailer mainly US a device designed to make rolling stock or locomotives leave the rails to avoid a collision or accident
Derived forms of derail
- derailment, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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