derail

4 definitions • 4 examples

If a train derails or is derailed, it comes off the railway tracks.

to prevent a plan or process from succeeding:

Renewed fighting threatens to derail the peace talks.

to cause a train to run off the tracks:

fig. Renewed fighting threatens to derail the peace talks (= stop them from continuing).

to stop something from succeeding:

Investors are very concerned that a new crisis could derail the economic recovery.

Analysts identified five factors which could derail the hi-tech markets