bury one's head in the sand
To deliberately ignore the reality of a situation; to pretend a problem does not exist.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Don't bury your head in the sand about your unpaid bills.”
“She buries her head in the sand whenever we discuss the climate crisis.”
“Instead of fixing the leaking roof, he just buried his head in the sand and hoped for the best.”
“If you bury your head in the sand about your health symptoms, you might miss the chance to treat a minor issue before it becomes serious.”
“By burying his head in the sand regarding the company's declining profits, the manager failed to prevent the inevitable collapse of the business.”
Derived from the persistent, if entirely fictional, belief that the ostrich buries its head in the earth when threatened. The trope stems from the observed habit of the bird tending to its eggs in a shallow pit, a posture which, to the casual or distance observer, suggests a creature attempting to hide by rendering itself blind to the approaching inconvenience. The phrase entered the language as a metaphorical shorthand for the avoidance of unpleasant realities, predicated on a failure of avian observation.
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abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026