behead

verb

be·​head bi-ˈhed How to pronounce behead (audio)
bē-
beheaded; beheading; beheads

transitive verb

: to cut off the head of : decapitate

Examples of behead in a Sentence

Louis XVI was beheaded in 1793. Mary, Queen of Scots, was beheaded for plotting against Queen Elizabeth.
Recent Examples on the Web None of her immediate family wanted to meet one of the men who had helped take her son hostage and then posted a terrorist propaganda video of him being brutally beheaded. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 As Brown told Barrymore, his character was beheaded. Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 26 Feb. 2024 The victim was allegedly found beheaded inside a bathroom, police sources told Fox 29. Landon Mion, Fox News, 31 Jan. 2024 More than 300 people died in prisons in 2021, some of whom were beheaded in horrific massacres that saw inmates armed with automatic weapons and even grenades. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 Kenyans were shocked when 31 women were killed in January after they were beaten, strangled or beheaded, activists and police said. Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2024 In February 1554, Lady Jane and her husband were beheaded at the Tower of London. Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024 Justin Mohn, 32, was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and other counts after his father, Michael Mohn, was found beheaded in their family home in Middletown Township’s Levittown section Tuesday evening, court records show. David K. Li, NBC News, 1 Feb. 2024 Jews were burned alive in their homes, gang-raped, shot to death and beheaded. Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'behead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of behead was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near behead

Cite this Entry

“Behead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behead. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

behead

verb
be·​head bi-ˈhed How to pronounce behead (audio)
: to cut off the head of

More from Merriam-Webster on behead

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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