took the bull by the horns
Tackled head-on
To take the bull by the horns is to confront a difficult situation directly and decisively rather than avoiding it.
The image is of grabbing a dangerous animal by its most dangerous part—seizing control instead of retreating.
After months of delays, she finally took the bull by the horns and fired the contractor.
- face the musicAccept deserved consequences
- face your fearsDeliberately approach what terrifies
- initiativeSelf-directed action capacity
- take actionBegin doing something
- fearlessnessComplete lack of dread
brave face · bite the bullet · go for broke · courage · fortitude · take charge · decision-making · determination · grit · rise to the occasion · roll up sleeves · get stuck in · risk-taking · perseverance · step up to the plate · tenacity · confidence · assertiveness
took the bull by the hornsburied one's head in the sand
Deliberately avoided facing problems
shied away · turned a blind eye · sidestepped · backed down · passed the buck
took the bull by the hornsdithered
Was unable to decide
hesitated · vacillated · procrastinated · dragged one's feet · sat on one's hands