: unwilling to recognize or acknowledge a problem or situation
the government's usual head-in-the-sand response

Examples of head-in-the-sand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Rather than prop up her parents as easy targets, Bartlett lays bare their contradictory humanity over a 44-year journey from wide-eyed idealism to head-in-the-sand egotism. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2024 Moran rejects the climate-change denialism that many head-in-the-sand Republicans embrace. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'head-in-the-sand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of head-in-the-sand was in 1970

Dictionary Entries Near head-in-the-sand

Cite this Entry

“Head-in-the-sand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/head-in-the-sand. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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