Idiom
butt heads
Meaning
To argue uncompromisingly.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“The two managers often butt heads over budgets.”
“My sister and I butt heads whenever we try to plan a family trip together.”
“The ambitious young reformer and the cautious veteran senator butt heads at every committee meeting, their clashing visions paralysing the legislation.”
Examples
simple
“The two managers often butt heads over budgets.”
contextual
“My sister and I butt heads whenever we try to plan a family trip together.”
complex
“The ambitious young reformer and the cautious veteran senator butt heads at every committee meeting, their clashing visions paralysing the legislation.”
Origin
Derived from the ritual combat of horned animals, which compete for dominance by striking their heads against one another. The term records the physical collision of animals such as goats or rams and entered the English lexicon as a figurative expression for stubborn disagreement.
Key words
Related idioms
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