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
As the emboldened queen is beheaded, King Henry is seen preparing to wed his third wife, the pious and soft-spoken Jane Seymour (Kate Phillips).
—
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
Dugin claims to be descended from a radical priest who was beheaded by the state, and the proof of it may be in his fearlessly splenetic Limonka columns.
—James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025
Three men who supported the Islamic State group were convicted of beheading the victims and sentenced to death—the first such penalty in Morocco since 1993.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
The father was beheaded by the militants, according to OD field contacts.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2025
The real-life Cromwell was beheaded in 1540 on orders from Henry VIII.
—Sean Piccoli, Deadline, 5 Apr. 2025
Jane, who may have been as young as 16, is shown blindfolded as an executioner with an axe waits to behead her.
—Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 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
An Islamist group linked to Islamic State called the AFD are feared to have beheaded the victims with machetes.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
Dugin claims to be descended from a radical priest who was beheaded by the state, and the proof of it may be in his fearlessly splenetic Limonka columns.
—James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025
Three men who supported the Islamic State group were convicted of beheading the victims and sentenced to death—the first such penalty in Morocco since 1993.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
The father was beheaded by the militants, according to OD field contacts.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2025
The real-life Cromwell was beheaded in 1540 on orders from Henry VIII.
—Sean Piccoli, Deadline, 5 Apr. 2025
Jane, who may have been as young as 16, is shown blindfolded as an executioner with an axe waits to behead her.
—Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 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
An Islamist group linked to Islamic State called the AFD are feared to have beheaded the victims with machetes.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behead
Verb
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Now, a La Plaza Bakery opens before sunrise and caters to workers headed to the fields, and restaurants line the streets.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2025
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Even in Arcadia, the brand new full-length from Sleep Token, arrived on Friday (May 9), and it’s headed for a sizable debut on the Billboard charts in just a few days.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Kelsey Grammer Reflects on the 'Terrible Loss' and Guilt After His Sister's 1975 Murder Afterwards, the men drove Karen to an alley, where Glenn stabbed her 42 times and nearly decapitated her.—
Brianne Tracy,
People.com,
2 May 2025
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The incoming train decapitates her, and Cora is left screaming.—
Gabino Iglesias,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Behead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behead. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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