as in to head
to cut off the head of a particularly gruesome series of murders in which the victims were decapitated

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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 decapitate The man, who archaeologists estimated was between 26 years and 35 years old, also appears to have been decapitated following his demise, which may have been part of a Roman burial ritual then. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025 Once there, Gress allegedly decapitated and dismembered Corsette's body while Brandes placed the remains in trash bags. Chris Spargo, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025 Two weeks after an unprovoked hatchet attack nearly decapitated a man sitting with his wife at a Tucson, Arizona, bus stop, the suspect has been charged with first-degree murder. Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2025 Kennedy has been working at unprecedented speed to decapitate and gut the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recognized as the premier agencies for biomedical research and the promotion and protection of public health, respectively. Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decapitate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decapitate
Verb
  • Brown will be able to head out on his Breezy Bowl tour, according to the conditions of his bail.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 23 May 2025
  • Rubber outsoles provide traction for tearing up the dance floor at a wedding or heading out for a day of seeing tourist attractions, and lightly padded insoles cushion your feet with every step.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • But would you rather be blasted by tiny pieces — which really hurts — or beheaded or stabbed in the heart by a large shard with tape dangling off of it?
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
  • Men on electric scooters zoomed past a square where prisoners used to be beheaded, now a few blocks away from a gleaming new metro station.
    Vivian Nereim, New York Times, 16 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Decapitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decapitate. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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