as in to head
to cut off the head of a particularly gruesome series of murders in which the victims were decapitated

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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 decapitate Kennedy has been working at unprecedented speed to decapitate and gut the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recognized as the premier agencies for biomedical research and the promotion and protection of public health, respectively. Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025 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 The incoming train decapitates her, and Cora is left screaming. Gabino Iglesias, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025 Several manufacturers who asked not be named, said that the impact of such a heavy duty would decapitate exports as margins in the apparel and textile sector were already slim. Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decapitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decapitate
Verb
  • Brown will be able to head out on his Breezy Bowl tour, according to the conditions of his bail.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 23 May 2025
  • Rubber outsoles provide traction for tearing up the dance floor at a wedding or heading out for a day of seeing tourist attractions, and lightly padded insoles cushion your feet with every step.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • Men on electric scooters zoomed past a square where prisoners used to be beheaded, now a few blocks away from a gleaming new metro station.
    Vivian Nereim, New York Times, 16 May 2025
  • The Scholl siblings, their friends and their professor were beheaded for urging students at the University of Munich to oppose the Nazi regime.
    Peter Nguyen, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Decapitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decapitate. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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