# bury one's head in the sand

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bury-ones-head-in-the-sand
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

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

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.