derail Hear it!

derail Definition

de·rail (dē rāl′)

transitive verb

to cause (a train, etc.) to go off the rails

Etymology: Fr dérailler < dé-, from (see de-) + rail < OFr reille: see rail

intransitive verb

to go off the rails

derail Related Forms
de·rail′·ment noun
derail Synonyms

derail

v.

go off the rails, be wrecked, thwart, deflect; see crash 1, hinder, wreck 1.

derail Usage Examples

Subject

  • crisis: It would be a tragedy if that possibility of progress were derailed by the hostage crisis.

Object

  • train: Moreover, the train derailed at Potters Bar had no guard on board.
  • carriage: They said a wheel broke on a curve as the train approached the Jesus underground station and two train carriages derailed in the tunnel.
  • coach: The remaining derailed coaches were damaged in varying degree.
  • wheel: The first three wagons of the freight train each had their leading pair of wheels derailed.
  • progress: Other risks are more cyclical, such as rising interest rates, which could derail progress in the stock market, Asante says.
  • process: I haven't negated any payment methods or otherwise derailed the process.

Preposition: on

  • point: What is known is that 2541 was derailed on the points at Beddington Lane on 16th March 1999.

Preposition: at

  • speed: One other incident prior to Sevenoaks happened when one of the tanks derailed at speed, but then rerailed itself!

Modifying Another Word

  • nearly: The VCR was nearly derailed over the issue of copyrights.
  • completely: What would have completely derailed lesser players ( equipment screwup at the climax of the signature tune ) became proof of their mastery.
  • not: Whatever tricks Irving tried, he could not derail Browning ' s calm, precise delivery of facts establishing that the genocide happened.
  • partially: Disruption after train derails - From BBC - A train partially derailed in Surrey on Monday causing major disruption for commuters.
  • almost: HASTINGS was unloaded the following day and almost derailed herself in the process.
  • also: The leading bogie of the third car was also derailed.

Used with why or when

  • what: But they will try to inflict terror in order to derail what has been achieved.

Preposition: in

  • collision: Both trains were derailed in the collision which followed, and there was slight damage to eleven of the sixteen coaches.
  • tunnel: They said a wheel broke on a curve as the train approached the Jesus underground station and two train carriages derailed in the tunnel.

Preposition: with

  • consistency: It's not so much an opinion as a simple observation: recent public projects have derailed with alarming consistency.

Preposition: by

  • crisis: It would be a tragedy if that possibility of progress were derailed by the hostage crisis.