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head 1 of 3

noun

ˈhed How to pronounce head (audio)
Definition of headnext
1
as in skull
the upper or front part of the body that contains the brain, the major sense organs, and the mouth I hit my head as I went through the low doorway

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2
as in helm
the place of leadership or command every year a different parent is placed at the head of the troop's cookie drive

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3
as in foam
a light mass of fine bubbles formed in or on a liquid the head on the ice cream soda rose a good two inches above the rim of the glass

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4
as in person
a member of the human race the tour guide counted heads, and everyone was present

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5
as in crisis
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action when the disagreement between the two departments came to a head, the CEO called both managers in for a closed-door meeting

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6
as in headwater
the beginning part of a stream Lake Itasca in Minnesota is the head of the Mississippi River

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7
as in top
the highest part or point stood at the head of the stairs and looked down

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8
as in mind
the normal or healthy condition of the mental abilities you're out of your head if you think you can swim across that river

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9
as in brain
the part of a person that feels, thinks, perceives, wills, and especially reasons challenged us to put our heads together and find a solution to the skyrocketing costs of the company's health insurance plans

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10
as in boss
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do as head of the planning committee, he had the responsibility of appointing someone to look into the parking situation

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11
as in dam
a bank of earth constructed to control water built a head to create a millpond

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12
as in bathroom
a room furnished with a fixture for flushing body waste give me a chance to visit the head, and I'll be all set to go

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13
as in user
a person who regularly uses drugs especially illegally a shop near campus where all the heads used to get their paraphernalia

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14
as in lover
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something she's a total tech head who adores home electronics and computers

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15
as in heading
a word or series of words often in larger letters placed at the beginning of a passage or at the top of a page in order to introduce or categorize rechecked to make sure that all the heads were in boldface

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16
as in talent
a special and usually inborn ability I have no head for numbers

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head

2 of 3

verb

1
as in to turn
to go on a specified course or in a certain direction she'll be heading out east in the fall to attend college

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2
as in to lead
to be at the front of heading the procession at the dog show was a miniature poodle, followed by dogs seemingly of every breed

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3
as in to handle
to be in charge of who headed the CIA when Ronald Reagan was president?

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4
as in to go
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the road to riches headed north, thought many, as off they went to Alaska to try their luck at panning gold

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5
as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal after a long day at the beach, we headed the car toward home

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6
as in to command
to serve as leader of Robert La Salle headed the expedition that claimed Louisiana for the French king

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7
as in to decapitate
to cut off the head of got a job at the slaughterhouse heading cattle

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head

3 of 3

adjective

as in chief
highest in rank or authority as head editor at the TV station for 17 years, he has seen many news anchors come and go

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of head
Noun
The key to pulling it off was close collaboration with his department heads and lead actor to make sure James’ arc was clearly mapped out, both visually and emotionally. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026 What was going through my head was exactly what came out of my mouth. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
The whiff of desperation coming from the ad blitz may have something to do with the president’s dismal polling numbers headed into November’s midterms. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026 The storm was moving north-northwest at 10 mph on Saturday morning, but was expected to turn northeast and head toward Baja California Sur on Monday. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 26 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Carlson would serve alongside her as the other co-head coach, while Abernethy would hold the dual roles of diving coach and director of operations. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026 But his path to becoming the head coach of the Wild’s AHL affiliate in Iowa last month was also sparked by his relationship with Iowa general manager Matt Hendricks, an old summer skating partner during their playing days. — Joe Smith, New York Times, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for head
Recent Examples of Synonyms for head
  1. skull
  2. helm
  3. foam
  4. person
  5. crisis
  6. headwater
  7. top
  8. mind
Noun
  • Even the best helmets and other gear can give a false sense of security, Nowinski says, because they’re primarily designed to reduce skull fracture and linear acceleration, not the rotational acceleration that leads to CTE.
    — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Notable finds include a partial skeleton of a Miocene-era seabird, and a complete baleen whale skull weighing more than 650 pounds.
    — Katie Riley, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of skull
Noun
  • At its helm stands von der Leyen, the 67-year-old former German defense minister, who has become a prominent figure at summits with leaders around the world, despite being a political appointee who hasn’t been elected to Europe’s top post.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • And, Munster argues, with a product stockpile of some of the most popular and durable tech on earth to build upon, Apple doesn’t necessarily need a product visionary at its helm to continue its world-dominating success streak.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of helm
Noun
  • The agency spokesperson says that the anechoic chamber hadn’t been upgraded since 1997 and that its microwave-absorbing foam spires were crumbling.
    — Eric Niiler, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Oribe Hair Alchemy Strengthening Shampoo Made without SLS or SLES (chemical detergents that make products foam up, and remove oil and dirt), Oribe’s Hair Alchemy Strengthening Shampoo is built for fragile, breakage-prone hair.
    — Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of foam
Noun
  • Normally in a Housewives fight like this, the person getting caught would be defensive or fire back twice as hard, but Vicki simply doesn’t care.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • But, no offense, the most popular person in the stadium on Saturday afternoon will be the Sheriff himself, Peyton Manning, who will be in attendance to watch his nephew Arch Manning square off against his beloved Tennessee Vols.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of person
Noun
  • Kristin, a cool, calm, and collected crisis negotiator from the purple tribe, negotiates with Kilby, a game designer from Canada on the yellow tribe.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Thomas Peter | Reuters Climate shocks, geopolitical conflict and a global fuel crisis, on top of surging interest rates and donor cuts, leave the world poorly placed to respond, said Chris Newton, food security analyst at International Crisis Group.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of crisis
Noun
  • According to the post, Kentucky State Police Aviation saw smoke in the area, and wardens and search and rescue personnel were able to access the location, near the headwaters of Cave Run Lake, using a boat.
    — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Others, like salmon, return upstream via Metro-North or the Long Island Rail Road to the suburban headwaters in which they were born, in order to spawn.
    — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of headwater
Noun
  • But the box office milestone wasn’t really the figure Theron had at the top of her mind.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The top is varied enough in design enough to wear with jeans, a skirt, or your favorite work trousers.
    — Jessie Quinn, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of top
Noun
  • Hardly decipherable, but the syllables tugged at the corner of my mind.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • That result remains etched in the standings but is finally blurred from McVay's mind.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of mind

Phrases Containing head

Browse Nearby Words

hazy
head
headache
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Cite this Entry

“Head.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/head. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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