guillotine

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The guillotine blade that was allegedly used comes from the Madame Tussauds Chamber of Horrors, by descent from the family of Charles-Henri Sanson, the executioner, whose son Henri may have pulled the lever.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

“Consolidation now hangs over the film industry like a guillotine, with job losses likely and the future of the theatrical movie-going experience in question,” Lauzen wrote in her report.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2026

If, in 1793, you were going to visit the full-scale model of the guillotine exhibited at S. W. Fores’ Piccadilly print shop, you could hardly miss these merciless cartoons.

From Slate • Jul. 21, 2025

Light as air and as French as the guillotine.

From BBC • May 5, 2024

Mr. Patch-Withers’ face was reaching a brilliant shade, and his wife’s head fell as though before the guillotine.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles