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
Vecna being decapitated was so cool.
—
Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
There’s one splashingly gory sequence, when Maria (Matilda De Angelis), Dracula’s first disciple, goes demon and gets decapitated and staked-through-the-heart.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
Williams said the body had not been decapitated or frozen, as some media outlets have reported.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
With this regime change operation, the government of Venezuela has been decapitated.
—Keir Simmons, NBC news, 3 Jan. 2026
With Hamas decimated, Lebanon’s Hezbollah largely decapitated, the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria toppled, and Shiite militias in Iraq avoiding conflict with Israel, the other members of Iran’s once powerful axis of resistance are severely weakened.
—April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2025
Hands-down one of the most disgusting movies ever made (a compliment), the film finds the indefatigable slasher, who was decapitated at the end of Terrifier 2, reattaching his head and commencing his ritual slaughters.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Apart from Ciri, who assumed the fake name Falka and spent the season with the group, the Rats are extremely dead — not just slaughtered by Leo Bonhart but decapitated with each of their heads sawed off and dumped into a barrel for preservation.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Their attack continued; Morales was stabbed 18 times, including through his skull and brain, had his arm nearly cut off and was nearly decapitated, prosecutors said.
—Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
There’s one splashingly gory sequence, when Maria (Matilda De Angelis), Dracula’s first disciple, goes demon and gets decapitated and staked-through-the-heart.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
Williams said the body had not been decapitated or frozen, as some media outlets have reported.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
With this regime change operation, the government of Venezuela has been decapitated.
—Keir Simmons, NBC news, 3 Jan. 2026
With Hamas decimated, Lebanon’s Hezbollah largely decapitated, the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria toppled, and Shiite militias in Iraq avoiding conflict with Israel, the other members of Iran’s once powerful axis of resistance are severely weakened.
—April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2025
Hands-down one of the most disgusting movies ever made (a compliment), the film finds the indefatigable slasher, who was decapitated at the end of Terrifier 2, reattaching his head and commencing his ritual slaughters.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Apart from Ciri, who assumed the fake name Falka and spent the season with the group, the Rats are extremely dead — not just slaughtered by Leo Bonhart but decapitated with each of their heads sawed off and dumped into a barrel for preservation.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Their attack continued; Morales was stabbed 18 times, including through his skull and brain, had his arm nearly cut off and was nearly decapitated, prosecutors said.
—Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decapitated
Verb
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They were headed home when the fresh snow, light and soft, suddenly descended from the slopes as one of the most ferocious forces of nature.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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The forecast doesn't currently call for more snow in Iowa's capital city headed into the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.—
Cooper Worth,
Des Moines Register,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After years of scrutiny and criticism over his ties with Epstein, his arrest was the first for a senior royal since Charles I, who was beheaded for treason in 1649.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
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The last senior member of Britain’s royal family to be arrested in connection with a serious crime was King Charles I, who was beheaded for treason in 1649 following his defeat in the English Civil War.—
Rafi Schwartz,
TheWeek,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decapitated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decapitated. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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