behead

verb

be·​head bi-ˈhed How to pronounce behead (audio)
bē-
beheaded; beheading; beheads

transitive verb

: to cut off the head of : decapitate

Examples of behead in a Sentence

Louis XVI was beheaded in 1793. Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded for plotting against Queen Elizabeth.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Muslims are in the minority here; it’s said that Christians account for between 80-95% of the population. 70 Christians were reported beheaded, again in a church in the DRC, in February. Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2025 The statesman was beheaded on Tower Hill after more than a year of imprisonment. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025 What To Know Prosecutors told a Dordrecht court on Monday that Jesse R. confessed to beheading his mother, Alia, with an axe at her home in Hellevoetsluis, just before Easter. Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025 In 2018, a Corpus Christi man beheaded a rattlesnake that was prowling around his yard. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2025 Hence, TikTokers are posting comedy sketches of mock-meltdowns, beheading their unwanted dolls after opening another packet and getting an undesirable color. Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 Chillingly, they were sometimes made double-sided, for greater efficiency—the better to behead two people at a time. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2025 In February, Newsweek reported on how the ADF is believed to have beheaded 70 Christians in a church in the province of North Kivu. Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025 Mohn also went to a National Guard training camp after beheading his father in an attempt to mobilize troops against the federal government, the Bucks County's district attorney said. Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of behead was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Behead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behead. Accessed 2 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

behead

verb
be·​head bi-ˈhed How to pronounce behead (audio)
: to cut off the head of

More from Merriam-Webster on behead

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