behead

Definition of beheadnext
as in to head
to cut off the head of Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded for plotting against Queen Elizabeth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of behead Eight pages later, Leucippe has to fake her own beheading to escape from pirates. Literary Hub, 30 June 2026 D'Arcy and Matt Smith address the aftermath of Jace's death and that beheading. Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 29 June 2026 Rhaenyra cannot behead the Usurper, but this man — her father’s hand, who manipulated them all in the name of naked ambition — makes a fitting surrogate. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026 Through tears, Rheanyra beheaded Otto, brutally, as her first cut wasn't clean. Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026 Kainerugaba, who has been touted as a possible successor to his aging father, President Yoweri Museveni, is well known for his controversial social media posts including threats to behead the leading opposition leader Bobi Wine. CNN Money, 28 June 2026 Four Haitian women who were deported from the United States in February were found beheaded and dumped in a river several months later, lawyers said in court documents. Lindsay Whitehurst, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 His mother, who came from a somewhat shady family (her father had been part of a coin-forging group whose ringleaders were arrested and beheaded), helped run the inn; his sister was twelve years older. Clare Bucknell, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 Protests and riots broke out in Belfast, United Kingdom, the day after a Sudanese immigrant stabbed and attempted to behead a local. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behead
Verb
  • Yybyyb Square-Toe Glove Ballet Flats Before heading to checkout, be sure to consider these glove flats that’ll serve as a conversation-starter and compliment-magnet in your closet.
    Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 3 July 2026
  • Spain just took a corner and it was nearly headed in but blocked away by Austrian defender Kevin Danso.
    Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • That video showed the same cat being decapitated by Martel, according to prosecutors.
    Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
  • Beijing — When US and Israeli bombs first began falling on Iran at the end of February, China’s leaders were staring at the very real possibility of another friendly regime being decapitated, much like had happened with Venezuela only weeks before.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 20 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Behead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behead. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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