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.
Around the same time, a statue of Columbus in a park bearing his name in Boston was beheaded in the dead of night. Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025 Walt Disney Imagineering updated the storyline of Black Widow Bride Constance Hatchway earlier this year by turning her from an axe murderer who beheads her wealthy husbands into a more mournful figure overwhelmed by the dread of lost love. Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025 More than 30 Christians were beheaded in Mozambique last month, with churches and homes burned down, according to a new report. Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 The Barcelona delegate, as portrayed by an overly ceceando Mikey Day, suggested skipping the tiresome lecture, only to be taken off camera to be beheaded. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2025 The first two of these were found out and, unfortunately for them, beheaded, but fake news had a strong grip. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025 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 After beheading Nagamallaiah, Cobos-Martinez allegedly placed the victim’s head in a dumpster. Nic F. Anderson, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025 Journalist Daniel Pearl getting beheaded in 2002. James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 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 16 Oct. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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