derail
About 0.23 uses per million words.
Meaning
- noun Synonym of derailer: A device placed on railway tracks in order to cause a train to derail.
The derail was placed deliberately so that the train would fall into the river.
- noun An instance of diverting a conversation or debate from its original topic.
- verb To cause to come off the tracks.
The train was destroyed when it was derailed by the collision.
- verb To come off the tracks.
- verb To deviate from the previous course or direction.
The conversation derailed once James brought up politics.
- verb To cause to deviate from a set course or direction.
The protesting students derailed the professor's lecture.
Similar words
jump run off the rails scupper veer hamper scuttle block budge backfire erode
Often followed by
the a his your it their her this any
Word family
derailed derailing derailment derailments derails
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