stuck one's head in the sand
Ignored obvious danger
To stick one's head in the sand is to deliberately ignore obvious problems or dangers, like an ostrich supposedly hiding from threats by burying its head.
The phrase usually carries criticism—someone refusing to face uncomfortable realities: You can't just stick your head in the sand and pretend the debt will go away.
The past tense stuck often appears with has or had: She's stuck her head in the sand about the whole situation.
- self-deceptionConvincing yourself of falsehoods
- procrastinationHabitual task avoidance
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
- evasionAct of escaping detection
- dodgingAvoiding by moving aside
repression · willful ignorance · blissful ignorance · turn a blind eye · look the other way · rationalization · abdication · folk wisdom · deflection · distortion · wishful thinking · rose-colored glasses · ostrich · neglect · shirking · postponement · in denial · cognitive dissonance
stuck one's head in the sandfaced the music
Accepted responsibility for actions
took the bull by the horns · faced facts · bit the bullet · grasped the nettle · stepped up to the plate
stuck one's head in the sandcame to terms with
Reached inner resolution
stared down · took stock · reckoned with · read the room · kept one's eyes open
stuck one's head in the sandkept one's eyes open
Maintained vigilant awareness
kept watch · paid attention · kept one's eyes peeled · wised up · caught on
sticks, sticking, sticker, stickers, stickiness, unstuck, headed, heading, header