Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of headsman
Two other men, subjects of excellent Holbein drawings in the show, would keep appointments with the headsman.
—
Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022
Even if your reality is the headsman’s block!
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2021
Once upon a time, the queen could have sent rebels to the Tower and the headsman’s block, even relatives—especially relatives.
—Matt Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 9 Mar. 2021
The British prime minister has assembled a trio of headsmen to sever Britain from the mainland.
—Vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, 22 Mar. 2017
Several other leading figures of the period ended their days on the executioner’s block, including the unhappy Comte de Chalais, whose headsman bungled the job and ended up frantically chopping away at his screaming victim with a small hatchet.
—David A. Bell, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2012
Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022
Even if your reality is the headsman’s block!
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2021
Once upon a time, the queen could have sent rebels to the Tower and the headsman’s block, even relatives—especially relatives.
—Matt Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 9 Mar. 2021
The British prime minister has assembled a trio of headsmen to sever Britain from the mainland.
—Vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, 22 Mar. 2017
Several other leading figures of the period ended their days on the executioner’s block, including the unhappy Comte de Chalais, whose headsman bungled the job and ended up frantically chopping away at his screaming victim with a small hatchet.
—David A. Bell, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headsman
Noun
-
One such affair claimed an extra life when the executioner’s son ascended the scaffold to brandish a head, lost his footing, and fell to his death.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Iran is the world's most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Just after the American Civil War, people in Pennsylvania were still following the ancient Roman polymath Pliny’s advice to wrap their aching heads with a piece of a hangman’s noose.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The classic effigy comes with a free hangman’s noose or lasso.—
Jack Handey,
New Yorker,
17 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Trump is expected to move quickly to name a replacement and has previously discussed elevating Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, a close ally who has earned a reputation inside the administration as a reliable executor of the president’s agenda.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The client’s attorney will then include Trinity in the estate planning documents, naming Ceh Becvar as executor for a will, trustee for a living trust, or power of attorney for healthcare or business.—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The meeting ended—the first where the Young Lords and community people had done a fine job of exposing the real criminals and murderers in the streets of our communities.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Whether or not Carol is a murderer or something else.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headsman. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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