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
While Elizabeth's Buffy does get beheaded late in Scary Movie, most of the characters have died and then magically been fine once the next outing begins.
—
Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026
This was a one-time golden opportunity to behead the monster with a single blow before those key leaders scattered to the wind.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
The last senior member of Britain’s royal family to be arrested in connection with a serious crime was King Charles I, who was beheaded for treason in 1649 following his defeat in the English Civil War.
—Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 20 Feb. 2026
After years of scrutiny and criticism over his ties with Epstein, his arrest was the first for a senior royal since Charles I, who was beheaded for treason in 1649.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
Charles was arrested in 1647, convicted of treason, and beheaded in 1649.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 19 Feb. 2026
Charles was arrested, tried, convicted of high treason and beheaded in 1649.
—Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Long gone are the days when out-of-favor lords could be imprisoned in the Tower of London or beheaded for treason.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
England had been without a king for eleven years, after Charles’s father was beheaded, on a temporary wooden platform outside Banqueting House, part of the palace of Whitehall.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026
This was a one-time golden opportunity to behead the monster with a single blow before those key leaders scattered to the wind.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
The last senior member of Britain’s royal family to be arrested in connection with a serious crime was King Charles I, who was beheaded for treason in 1649 following his defeat in the English Civil War.
—Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 20 Feb. 2026
After years of scrutiny and criticism over his ties with Epstein, his arrest was the first for a senior royal since Charles I, who was beheaded for treason in 1649.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
Charles was arrested in 1647, convicted of treason, and beheaded in 1649.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 19 Feb. 2026
Charles was arrested, tried, convicted of high treason and beheaded in 1649.
—Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Long gone are the days when out-of-favor lords could be imprisoned in the Tower of London or beheaded for treason.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
England had been without a king for eleven years, after Charles’s father was beheaded, on a temporary wooden platform outside Banqueting House, part of the palace of Whitehall.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behead
Verb
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Then, Moore headed to Los Angeles to present the award for achievement in cinematography at the 2026 Academy Awards.—
Pamela Vázquez,
Glamour,
16 Mar. 2026
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They’re headed to a major global tourist destination — a city with beautiful beaches and balmy weather — for the school’s spring break.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If Julie was being decapitated by hedge clippers, Shad was cueing her when to start screaming.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
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Israel has decapitated the Iranian proxy’s leadership and targeted its vast missile array.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Behead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behead. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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