as in headed
to cut off the head of
a particularly gruesome series of murders in which the victims were decapitated
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Recent Examples of decapitated
The terrorist group has been largely decapitated and is unable to wage meaningful counter-warfare against Israel and its allies, but is believed to still boast significant caches of weaponry that could threaten the long-term peace of the future Palestine.
—
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 May 2026
The driver of a bakery truck that got clipped by a United Airlines plane while driving on the New Jersey Turnpike believed he would be decapitated moments before the collision, his father revealed in a Tuesday news conference.
—Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Mexican authorities last summer found 20 bodies, including several that were decapitated and four that were left hanging from a bridge over a highway, that appeared to be victims of a turf war between the Chapitos and rival Sinaloa faction La Mayiza.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
Citing National Police, the outlet reported that the content creator had been partially decapitated and her face was bloodied.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
The resulting blast decapitated him.
—Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 19 Apr. 2026
Taylor was decapitated and her arms were severed from her torso, possibly in an attempt to hide her identity, according to court documents.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
This was the most dramatic move in Xi’s campaign to reshape the military’s leadership, which has effectively decapitated the senior ranks of the People’s Liberation Army.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
Most notably, Israel decapitated Iran’s close ally Hezbollah in Lebanon in September–November, which in turn facilitated Ahmed al-Sharaa’s toppling of pro-Iran Syrian Pres.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 May 2026
The driver of a bakery truck that got clipped by a United Airlines plane while driving on the New Jersey Turnpike believed he would be decapitated moments before the collision, his father revealed in a Tuesday news conference.
—Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
Mexican authorities last summer found 20 bodies, including several that were decapitated and four that were left hanging from a bridge over a highway, that appeared to be victims of a turf war between the Chapitos and rival Sinaloa faction La Mayiza.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
Citing National Police, the outlet reported that the content creator had been partially decapitated and her face was bloodied.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
The resulting blast decapitated him.
—Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 19 Apr. 2026
Taylor was decapitated and her arms were severed from her torso, possibly in an attempt to hide her identity, according to court documents.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026
This was the most dramatic move in Xi’s campaign to reshape the military’s leadership, which has effectively decapitated the senior ranks of the People’s Liberation Army.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
Most notably, Israel decapitated Iran’s close ally Hezbollah in Lebanon in September–November, which in turn facilitated Ahmed al-Sharaa’s toppling of pro-Iran Syrian Pres.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decapitated
Verb
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Celebrated across continents with major retrospectives and solo shows and based in Paris since 1973, Italian photographer Paolo Roversi is finally headed back home — metaphorically, with the unveiling of a permanent gallery in his hometown of Ravenna.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
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While the days of wearing in-flight formalwear are long gone (much to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s dismay), there are wardrobe clues that may imply someone is headed to a boardroom and not the beach.—
Joey Skladany,
Travel + Leisure,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Four Haitian women who were deported from the United States in February were found beheaded and dumped in a river several months later, lawyers said in court documents.—
Lindsay Whitehurst,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Here’s another, similarly beheaded, on Seventh Avenue near 30th Street.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decapitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decapitated. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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