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.
The formidable Russell Crowe explained on X that his direct Fraser ancestry traces to Simon, the notorious 11th Lord Fraser of Lovat, whose Scots rebelliousness led to his becoming the last man beheaded on Tower Hill, in 1747. Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025 Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Jhumpa Lahiri, New Yorker, 30 June 2025 After the homicide, Caravaggio fled to Naples, then to Malta, to escape a sentence of death by beheading. Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 10 June 2025 There, inside the building that had until then been considered a sanctuary, they were first tied up, and then all 70 were beheaded, the groups say. Paul Tilsley, Fox News, 22 Feb. 2025 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 And while Saddam's regime was quickly beheaded, the region has had two decades of chaos and conflict since then. Susan Page, USA Today, 19 June 2025 After only five minutes of exposure to the parasite, 22.4% of sperm cells were beheaded. Bill Sullivan, The Conversation, 28 May 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 22 Jul. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!