as in headed
to cut off the head of
a particularly gruesome series of murders in which the victims were decapitated
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of decapitated
Williams said the body had not been decapitated or frozen, as some media outlets have reported.
—
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
With this regime change operation, the government of Venezuela has been decapitated.
—Keir Simmons, NBC news, 3 Jan. 2026
With Hamas decimated, Lebanon’s Hezbollah largely decapitated, the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria toppled, and Shiite militias in Iraq avoiding conflict with Israel, the other members of Iran’s once powerful axis of resistance are severely weakened.
—April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2025
Hands-down one of the most disgusting movies ever made (a compliment), the film finds the indefatigable slasher, who was decapitated at the end of Terrifier 2, reattaching his head and commencing his ritual slaughters.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Apart from Ciri, who assumed the fake name Falka and spent the season with the group, the Rats are extremely dead — not just slaughtered by Leo Bonhart but decapitated with each of their heads sawed off and dumped into a barrel for preservation.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Their attack continued; Morales was stabbed 18 times, including through his skull and brain, had his arm nearly cut off and was nearly decapitated, prosecutors said.
—Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Hamas, weakened militarily and decapitated by the assassinations of its leaders, faces isolation abroad and a diminished mandate at home.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Worden’s body had been decapitated, gutted and hung by its feet like a deer.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
With this regime change operation, the government of Venezuela has been decapitated.
—Keir Simmons, NBC news, 3 Jan. 2026
With Hamas decimated, Lebanon’s Hezbollah largely decapitated, the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria toppled, and Shiite militias in Iraq avoiding conflict with Israel, the other members of Iran’s once powerful axis of resistance are severely weakened.
—April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2025
Hands-down one of the most disgusting movies ever made (a compliment), the film finds the indefatigable slasher, who was decapitated at the end of Terrifier 2, reattaching his head and commencing his ritual slaughters.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Apart from Ciri, who assumed the fake name Falka and spent the season with the group, the Rats are extremely dead — not just slaughtered by Leo Bonhart but decapitated with each of their heads sawed off and dumped into a barrel for preservation.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Their attack continued; Morales was stabbed 18 times, including through his skull and brain, had his arm nearly cut off and was nearly decapitated, prosecutors said.
—Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Hamas, weakened militarily and decapitated by the assassinations of its leaders, faces isolation abroad and a diminished mandate at home.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Worden’s body had been decapitated, gutted and hung by its feet like a deer.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decapitated
Verb
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Nine of the 20 GB Snowsport athletes headed to Milan Cortina were born and/or raised abroad — growing up with better access to snow and in areas where snowsports were part of the culture.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The are headed to medium-Earth orbit at about 5,000 miles altitude.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In another city, the mayor was beheaded.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
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Six, a clever reimagining of what the wives of Henry VIII endured — a couple were beheaded — scores its points in just 80 minutes, with no intermission.—
Manuel Mendoza,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decapitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decapitated. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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