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
  3. decapitate
Verb
  • What to do nearby The David Whitney, with its location at the doorstep of some of the biggest venues downtown, was a popular sanctuary for visitors headed to a big concert at nearby Ford Field during my stay.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 July 2026
  • Just a year ago, the 19-year-old Carrollton native graduated from Hebron High School before heading to basic training.
    — Erin Jones, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of head
Verb
  • Women and girls in all corners of this world are accustomed to, and even expect, danger, including the priestess of Athena (Zendaya) whom Odysseus’ men behead during their sack of Troy.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026
  • His unprecedented February arrest was the first of a royal since 1649, when King Charles I was beheaded for high treason.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
Definition of behead
Verb
  • She was decapitated in the coaster accident, and now has a doll’s head where her real head used to be.
    — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
  • That still seems to mean so little to him that Lestat’s headless body, the threat of Regina being decapitated, and his own imminent death has not moved Louis to make amends.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of decapitate
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
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Cite this Entry

“Guillotine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guillotine. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on guillotine

Nglish: Translation of guillotine for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about guillotine

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