head in the sand

noun

A state of disregarding or denying a problem or threat.

“People who deny the inevitable zombie apocalypse have their heads in the sand.”

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Meanings

nounhead in the sand (plural heads in the sand)

plural heads in the sand · alternative head-in-the-sand

  1. A state of disregarding or denying a problem or threat.

    People who deny the inevitable zombie apocalypse have their heads in the sand.

    2 more examples

    In my opinion, the railways still have their heads in the sand on the subject of railway liveries.

    1961 June, B. A. Haresnape, “Design on the railway: Part Four”, in Trains Illustrated, page 354

    Pierce commented that he has never considered himself to be "a militant homosexual or anything like that, but if they expect us to sit around with our heads in the sand and not fight back, call me militant."

    1982 February 6, Jil Clark, quoting Mark Pierce, “Gay Father in Maine Fights for Custody of Son”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 28, page 1

Origin

A reference to the imagined habit of the ostrich burying its head when threatened.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

head in the sand. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20in%20the%20sand

MLA

“head in the sand.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20in%20the%20sand. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “head in the sand,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20in%20the%20sand.

Source: head in the sand on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.