as in heading
to cut off the head of
Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded for plotting against Queen Elizabeth
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Recent Examples of beheading
On subsequent songs, Ninajirachi sings about the destruction of her innocence through sexting, and the trauma of coming across a beheading video.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
At the same time, the barrage of vitriol unleashed by China castigating Takaichi as a warmongering militarist includes a reprehensible threat by the Chinese consul-general in Osaka about beheading Takaichi.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 30 Nov. 2025
On September 7, ISIS began a strident offensive again, hitting its former stronghold of Mocimboa da Praia, beheading dozens of mostly Christian men over the course of several weeks, and triggering the flight of tens of thousands of residents.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
Cobos-Martinez is accused of beheading Nagamallaiah during a machete attack in Dallas.
—Kate Plummer
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 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
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
At the same time, the barrage of vitriol unleashed by China castigating Takaichi as a warmongering militarist includes a reprehensible threat by the Chinese consul-general in Osaka about beheading Takaichi.
—Jeff Kingston, Time, 30 Nov. 2025
On September 7, ISIS began a strident offensive again, hitting its former stronghold of Mocimboa da Praia, beheading dozens of mostly Christian men over the course of several weeks, and triggering the flight of tens of thousands of residents.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
Cobos-Martinez is accused of beheading Nagamallaiah during a machete attack in Dallas.
—Kate Plummer
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 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
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His approach is clear, heading into Buffalo.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
16 Jan. 2026
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In Manchester’s lively, eminently walkable city center, household names are also heading back to headline at the iconic AO Arena after its recent $60-plus million facelift.—
Jonathan Thompson,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The problem is that the effort has succeeded only in decapitating the Maduro government and instilling fear among Venezuelans of future instability.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
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His lover died in shock and horror that Regis was capable of such violence, and a vampire hunter did the rest of the work by staking, decapitating, and burying him next to Bethané’s corpse.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beheading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beheading. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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