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 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
  • The big question heading into Beauty in Black Season 2, Part 2 is what will happen to Varney and Charles, who are held at gunpoint by masked men who broke into Charles’s home.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The 19-year-old D-man was taken in the sixth round (186th overall) of the 2024 draft, heading for Moncton after seeing 19 games at the professional level in Sweden.
    Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 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 16 Sep. 2025.

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