beheading

present participle of behead
as in heading
to cut off the head of Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded for plotting against Queen Elizabeth

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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 beheading 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 Preparing whole fish usually entails deboning, scaling, gutting, and beheading the sea creature, a task for you—or your fishmonger. Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 12 Jan. 2026 On subsequent songs, Ninajirachi sings about the destruction of her innocence through sexting, and the trauma of coming across a beheading video. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025 At the same time, the barrage of vitriol unleashed by China castigating Takaichi as a warmongering militarist includes a reprehensible threat by the Chinese consul-general in Osaka about beheading Takaichi. Jeff Kingston, Time, 30 Nov. 2025 On September 7, ISIS began a strident offensive again, hitting its former stronghold of Mocimboa da Praia, beheading dozens of mostly Christian men over the course of several weeks, and triggering the flight of tens of thousands of residents. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025 Cobos-Martinez is accused of beheading Nagamallaiah during a machete attack in Dallas. Kate Plummer shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025 The man accused of beheading his boss at a Dallas motel with a machete on Wednesday is a Cuban national who is in the United States illegally, authorities say. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beheading
Verb
  • The economic fallout of the Iran conflict is having major implications heading into a midterm election in which control of Congress is at stake.
    Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • Several large merchant ships used the southern route on Sunday heading for ports in the Gulf, according to ship tracking service Marine Traffic.
    Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
Verb
  • After decapitating the body, Kennedy tied the head to the top of the family's minivan with a bungee cord, making for a less-than-pleasant five-hour drive back home to Mount Kisco, New York, according to her recollection.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 26 May 2026
  • Trump took hostilities to a new level during his second term, launching strikes on land and at sea and ultimately decapitating the government.
    Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026

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“Beheading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beheading. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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