as in to head
to cut off the head of
Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded for plotting against Queen Elizabeth
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Recent Examples of behead
Here’s another, similarly beheaded, on Seventh Avenue near 30th Street.
—
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 16 Apr. 2026
Several of the women pleaded to be beheaded before the fire was lit and were granted this mercy.
—Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026
Many of the men were beheaded and women captured; Umar ibn Sa’d marched the spiked heads and shackled women through various towns on the way back to Caliph Yazid in Damascus to deter further protest.
—Mary Thurlkill, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026
While Elizabeth's Buffy does get beheaded late in Scary Movie, most of the characters have died and then magically been fine once the next outing begins.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026
This was a one-time golden opportunity to behead the monster with a single blow before those key leaders scattered to the wind.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
The last senior member of Britain’s royal family to be arrested in connection with a serious crime was King Charles I, who was beheaded for treason in 1649 following his defeat in the English Civil War.
—Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 20 Feb. 2026
After years of scrutiny and criticism over his ties with Epstein, his arrest was the first for a senior royal since Charles I, who was beheaded for treason in 1649.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
Charles was arrested in 1647, convicted of treason, and beheaded in 1649.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 19 Feb. 2026
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 16 Apr. 2026
Several of the women pleaded to be beheaded before the fire was lit and were granted this mercy.
—Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026
Many of the men were beheaded and women captured; Umar ibn Sa’d marched the spiked heads and shackled women through various towns on the way back to Caliph Yazid in Damascus to deter further protest.
—Mary Thurlkill, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026
While Elizabeth's Buffy does get beheaded late in Scary Movie, most of the characters have died and then magically been fine once the next outing begins.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026
This was a one-time golden opportunity to behead the monster with a single blow before those key leaders scattered to the wind.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
The last senior member of Britain’s royal family to be arrested in connection with a serious crime was King Charles I, who was beheaded for treason in 1649 following his defeat in the English Civil War.
—Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 20 Feb. 2026
After years of scrutiny and criticism over his ties with Epstein, his arrest was the first for a senior royal since Charles I, who was beheaded for treason in 1649.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
Charles was arrested in 1647, convicted of treason, and beheaded in 1649.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behead
Verb
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By the time the Sabres had put the finishing touches on a 6-1 win, Bruins fans were heading for the exits, leaving Sabres fans to celebrate at TD Garden.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
King Charles heads to Washington.—
Gabrielle Ng,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Citing National Police, the outlet reported that the content creator had been partially decapitated and her face was bloodied.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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The resulting blast decapitated him.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Behead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behead. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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