decapitate

verb

di-ˈka-pə-ˌtāt How to pronounce decapitate (audio)
Definition of decapitatenext
as in to head
to cut off the head of a particularly gruesome series of murders in which the victims were decapitated

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decapitate
  1. head
  2. behead
Verb
  • The primary core signal released is that Fed officials remain clearly divided over which direction interest rates should head next.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • About 4% of those crude oil exports head to the Americas while a portion of oil shipments go to Europe.
    — Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of head
Verb
  • The next morning, the officers’ bodies are found, beheaded, lying in pools of their own blood.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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

decants
decapitate
decapitated
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Cite this Entry

“Decapitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decapitate. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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