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
As king, Shakespeare’s Macbeth meets a tragic end when civil war erupts and his rival Macduff beheads him.
—
Marlene L. Daut
september 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
Cobos-Martinez is accused of beheading Nagamallaiah during a machete attack in Dallas.
—Kate Plummer
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
The suspect is accused of attacking and ultimately beheading another man in a violent incident at an area motel Wednesday.
—Nic F. Anderson, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
Journalist Daniel Pearl getting beheaded in 2002.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 12 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
Nagamallaiah was beheaded in the attack, according to the arrest affidavit, CBS 19 reports.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
According to psychiatrist interviews conducted with his younger sister, Allyn, Kemper cut the hands off of her doll, beheaded and dismembered the family cat, and fantasized about executions and gas chambers.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Less than four months later, Anne Boleyn was beheaded.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Marlene L. Daut
september 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
Cobos-Martinez is accused of beheading Nagamallaiah during a machete attack in Dallas.
—Kate Plummer
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
The suspect is accused of attacking and ultimately beheading another man in a violent incident at an area motel Wednesday.
—Nic F. Anderson, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
Journalist Daniel Pearl getting beheaded in 2002.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 12 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
Nagamallaiah was beheaded in the attack, according to the arrest affidavit, CBS 19 reports.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
According to psychiatrist interviews conducted with his younger sister, Allyn, Kemper cut the hands off of her doll, beheaded and dismembered the family cat, and fantasized about executions and gas chambers.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Less than four months later, Anne Boleyn was beheaded.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behead
Verb
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But fate called her west, and by her mid-20s, the young educator packed up her husband and son and headed to San Diego.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Sep. 2025
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Ryuji is pulling Usagi towards the whirlpool, hoping to head to the world of death alongside her.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Wildlife officials have put out a call to the public after the body of a dusky dolphin was found decapitated on a New Zealand beach.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
16 Sep. 2025
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Perhaps Clemson feared he'd get decapitated by Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins Jr.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Behead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behead. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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