derailment
n.the act of a train coming off its tracks, or a situation that stops a plan from moving forward. It can also describe a person's mind wandering away from the main topic.
n.the act of a train being forced off its rails; by extension, any event that prevents a process or plan from continuing as intended. Often used metaphorically to describe a loss of focus or a deviation from a logical argument.
“The heavy snow caused a derailment on the main line.”
“A sudden technical failure led to the derailment of the entire project, forcing the team to start over from scratch.”
“The speaker's tendency to share personal anecdotes often resulted in a derailment of the central thesis, leaving the audience confused about the original argument.”
“Then our carriage jumped vertically upwards and we could tell it was a derailment.”
“Told as a memoir, with Mira looking back on the derailment of her life and chronicling society’s changing perceptions of agency and privilege, this literary thriller is a masterfully executed ace.”