as in heading
to cut off the head of
a particularly gruesome series of murders in which the victims were decapitated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 decapitating
Israel, already emerging from a year of history-bending military operations—crippling Hamas in Gaza, decapitating Hezbollah's command structure, and setting back Iran's nuclear program—now stands at the threshold of something larger.
—
Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Oct. 2025
Winnecke is accused of killing and decapitating his father.
—Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 19 Aug. 2025
Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Oct. 2025
Winnecke is accused of killing and decapitating his father.
—Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decapitating
Verb
-
Russian air defense systems destroyed one drone heading for Moscow, the city’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Sunday, according to Reuters.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The Warriors are still thin in the backcourt heading into Friday’s game with De’Anthony Melton (knee) and Moses Moody (calf) still sidelined.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Cobos-Martinez is accused of beheading Nagamallaiah during a machete attack in Dallas.—
Kate Plummer
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Decapitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decapitating. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share