rear/raise its ugly head
phrase
—used to say that something bad appears and causes trouble usually after not occurring for a period of time
Inflation threatened to rear its ugly head.
I knew that the leak we patched would eventually raise its ugly head.
Cite this Entry
“Rear/raise its ugly head.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rear%2Fraise%20its%20ugly%20head. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
