beheading

present participle of behead
as in heading
to cut off the head of Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded for plotting against Queen Elizabeth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of beheading Cobos-Martinez is accused of beheading Nagamallaiah during a machete attack in Dallas. Kate Plummer shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025 The suspect is accused of attacking and ultimately beheading another man in a violent incident at an area motel Wednesday. Nic F. Anderson, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025 The man accused of beheading his boss at a Dallas motel with a machete on Wednesday is a Cuban national who is in the United States illegally, authorities say. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2025 The jihadist groups have been accused of beheading villagers and kidnapping children to be used as laborers or child soldiers. Danielle Wallace, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beheading
Verb
  • Government leaders and local experts on transit agree one-way streets, which were intended to make travel faster for commuters heading in and out of downtown, present safety concerns.
    Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Oct. 2025
  • That number was down to 39 percent heading into the Florida game and plummeted to 20 percent as of Saturday evening.
    Grace Raynor, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Winnecke is accused of killing and decapitating his father.
    Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 19 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Beheading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beheading. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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