as in to head
to cut off the head of
Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded for plotting against Queen Elizabeth
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Recent Examples of behead
The bill was named after Dexter, a rescue dog who was adopted in 2024 and found beheaded in a public park days later.
—
Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Two Islamic State members, both former British citizens who were part of a cell that beheaded American hostages, are serving life prison sentences in the United States.
—Andrew Mills, IndyStar, 12 May 2025
And while Saddam's regime was quickly beheaded, the region has had two decades of chaos and conflict since then.
—Susan Page, USA Today, 19 June 2025
After only five minutes of exposure to the parasite, 22.4% of sperm cells were beheaded.
—Bill Sullivan, The Conversation, 28 May 2025
The 28 statues of saints were beheaded, mistaken for French kings, and some of the bells were removed and melted down.
1804: Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor of France with the pope in attendance in Notre-Dame, and portions of the cathedral were restored.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 21 May 2025
The lamplight of Louisville, seen from the river, became a chain of beacon fires bringing news from Old Europe, where King Louis XVI, who gave the city its name, would be beheaded.
—Jonathon Sturgeon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
The group beheaded Palmyra's head of antiquities, Khaled al-Assad, and then systematically blew up several of the ancient city's most important monuments.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 17 Apr. 2025
But would you rather be blasted by tiny pieces — which really hurts — or beheaded or stabbed in the heart by a large shard with tape dangling off of it?
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Two Islamic State members, both former British citizens who were part of a cell that beheaded American hostages, are serving life prison sentences in the United States.
—Andrew Mills, IndyStar, 12 May 2025
And while Saddam's regime was quickly beheaded, the region has had two decades of chaos and conflict since then.
—Susan Page, USA Today, 19 June 2025
After only five minutes of exposure to the parasite, 22.4% of sperm cells were beheaded.
—Bill Sullivan, The Conversation, 28 May 2025
The 28 statues of saints were beheaded, mistaken for French kings, and some of the bells were removed and melted down.
1804: Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor of France with the pope in attendance in Notre-Dame, and portions of the cathedral were restored.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 21 May 2025
The lamplight of Louisville, seen from the river, became a chain of beacon fires bringing news from Old Europe, where King Louis XVI, who gave the city its name, would be beheaded.
—Jonathon Sturgeon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
The group beheaded Palmyra's head of antiquities, Khaled al-Assad, and then systematically blew up several of the ancient city's most important monuments.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 17 Apr. 2025
But would you rather be blasted by tiny pieces — which really hurts — or beheaded or stabbed in the heart by a large shard with tape dangling off of it?
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behead
Verb
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Second-round draft pick Lachlan Olbrich has been getting acquainted with Chicago before the Bulls summer league team heads to Las Vegas for Friday’s opener against the Toronto Raptors.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 July 2025
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Already heading to the Midsummer Classic, Jazz Chisholm Jr. would love to take on a bigger role when Atlanta hosts All-Star festivities next week.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
Verb
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His body was found decapitated Oct. 11 on the 2300 block of Clay Street with his arms and knees bound with black tape.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
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Mexican authorities recently found 20 bodies, including several that were decapitated and four that were left hanging from a bridge over a highway.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Behead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behead. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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