ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bury one's head in the sand

idiom
Meaning

To deliberately ignore the reality of a situation; to pretend a problem does not exist.


Origin

disputed origin

A reference to the imagined habit of the ostrich burying its head when threatened. See also head in the sand.

Examples
SIMPLE

Don't bury your head in the sand about your unpaid bills.

CONTEXTUAL

Instead of fixing the leaking roof, he just buried his head in the sand and hoped for the best.

COMPLEX

By burying his head in the sand regarding the company's declining profits, the manager failed to prevent the inevitable collapse of the business.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    abound in one's own sense

    To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.

  2. 02

    ace up one's sleeve

    A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.

  3. 03

    act one's age

    To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.

  4. 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”).

  5. 05

    afraid of one's own shadow

    Exceptionally timid.

  6. 06

    air one's dirty laundry in public

    To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.

  7. 07

    air one's dirty linen in public

    Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.

  8. 08

    albatross around one's neck

    A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.

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