butting heads
Locked in disagreement
Butting heads is clashing or arguing, especially repeatedly or stubbornly.
The image comes from rams or goats ramming their heads together in contest.
Two people who butt heads disagree persistently, neither willing to yield: She's always butting heads with her supervisor over deadlines.
The phrase suggests mutual stubbornness rather than one-sided conflict.
- hornsBony animal projections
- ramsAdult male sheep
- clashViolent disagreement or collision
- pushForce something away
- shovePush with force
locking horns · forehead · territorial behavior · turf war · argument · social hierarchy · disagree · dispute · stubbornness · power struggle · rivalry · mating rituals · ungulate · standoff · impasse · friction · rutting season · discord
- conflictclash, fight, war, battle, dispute
- incompatibilityoil and water, chalk and cheese, apples and oranges, mismatch, clash
butting headscooperating
Working jointly toward goals
collaborating · working together · seeing eye to eye · getting along · agreeing
butting headscompromising
Exposing to harm or scandal
yielding · acquiescing · backing down · giving in · accommodating
butting headsclicking
Making short sharp sounds
meshing · gelling · bonding · hitting it off
butt, butting, butted, butts, head, heads, headed, heading, header