burying one's head in the sand
Avoiding unpleasant realities
Burying one's head in the sand means deliberately ignoring obvious problems or refusing to acknowledge uncomfortable realities.
The expression alludes to the mistaken belief that ostriches hide from danger by sticking their heads in the ground.
Someone who buries their head in the sand avoids confronting difficult situations, hoping they'll resolve themselves or simply go away.
You can't just bury your head in the sand and pretend the debt doesn't exist.
- ostrichLargest living bird
- head in the sandDeliberate avoidance of reality
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- turning a blind eyeIntentionally disregarding something obvious
- coverProtect by overlaying
escapism · hide · self-defense · sand · compartmentalization · cognitive dissonance · ignore · looking away · procrastination · dissociation · repression · blindness · blissful ignorance · la la la · rationalization · conceal · out of sight · oblivion
burying one's head in the sandfacing the music
Accepting responsibility for actions
taking the bull by the horns · grasping the nettle · biting the bullet · rolling up one's sleeves · getting one's hands dirty
burying one's head in the sandfacing facts
Acknowledging uncomfortable truths
facing the music · taking stock · reckoning with · calling a spade a spade
burying one's head in the sandstanding one's ground
Refusing to yield position
rising to the occasion · standing up and being counted · seizing the day