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
Four Haitian women who were deported from the United States in February were found beheaded and dumped in a river several months later, lawyers said in court documents.
—
Lindsay Whitehurst, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
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
Lindsay Whitehurst, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behead
Verb
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American soccer player Miles Robinson was one of the US men’s national team’s top prospects heading into the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.—
Jim Sciutto,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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The Sparks head to Seattle to face the Storm (3-9) on Wednesday.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
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After decapitating the body, Kennedy tied the head to the top of the family's minivan with a bungee cord, making for a less-than-pleasant five-hour drive back home to Mount Kisco, New York, according to her recollection.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
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Vahidi’s rise to become one of Iran’s top decision-makers shows that US and Israeli efforts to decapitate the country’s leadership have not produced a more moderate ruling echelon.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Behead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behead. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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