as in to head
to cut off the head of a particularly gruesome series of murders in which the victims were decapitated

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of decapitate Along with the corpses – one of which had also been decapitated – authorities found a note seemingly from one of the cartel groups. Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025 Though there were initial reports that Mansfield was decapitated in the accident, her undertaker Jim Roberts later revealed that that was untrue. Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 29 June 2025 President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington, Saturday, June 21, 2025, after the U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear and military sites, directly joining Israel's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program. Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025 President Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel’s effort to decapitate the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict. Aamer Madhani, Christian Science Monitor, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for decapitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decapitate
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Decapitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decapitate. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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