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guillotine

verb

Definition of guillotinenext
as in to head
to cut off the head of French Revolutionary forces captured and guillotined countless aristocrats in the chaotic period following the downfall of the monarchy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for guillotine
  1. head
  2. behead
Verb
  • All of which means the table is deliciously close heading into this weekend.
    — Duncan Alexander, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The convention -- part rally, part fundraiser -- comes as Republicans try to boost enthusiasm heading into the final stretch before Election Day.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of head
Verb
  • In connection with the beheading threat, he was arrested on suspicion of making an interstate threatening communication.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The next morning, the officers’ bodies are found, beheaded, lying in pools of their own blood.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of behead
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.

Browse Nearby Words

guilelessness
guillotine
guillotined
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Guillotine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guillotine. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on guillotine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about guillotine

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